#// but not now BECAUSE IM LATE FOR CLASS. ANYWAYS STAN SHYLOCK BENNETT

[flowerinyourcare]

Reminiscence of the Unfinished Wine - Chapter 10

🍷 September seasonal permanent event; banner characters Shylock, Murr, Bradley; 2022/09/11 - 2022/09/19 JST 🍷

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Nero: Ahh… It's fantastic… Since this one is so rich, it would pair well with a nice cut of meat.

Faust: It's good, but I usually prefer something a little lighter.

Bacchus: Oh, then I think I have just the thing. Here, a little bit before that year we had…

Shylock: Ah, yes. The wines from that period were delightfully refreshing - I'm quite a fan of them, myself.

Nero: Huh, really? Which one was it? I wanna try a glass too.

Shylock: Here, this is the one.

Nero: Heh. It's the one that's as old as Teach.

Faust: Do you have to keep bringing that up?

Nero: You're the one who said it first…

Shylock: If we look further back, there's most likely some wines that are the same age as Nero. Shall we have it later?

Faust: Oh, good. He won't be left out.

Akira: Drinking wine that's as old as they are… it seems like a nice way to have fun.

Arthur: I agree. I imagine that it's quite a moving experience to taste a wine that has aged alongside you.

Arthur: If it was possible, I would have liked to have found wine from around the time Oz was born…

Akira: (That would make the wine at least 2000 years old…)

Oz: …… This wine is from the year of your birth, Arthur.

Oz: You had asked me to pick out a bottle of wine for you. Even if you cannot drink it now, you can keep it as a souvenir for when the time comes.

Arthur: Yes…! And when that day arrives, I hope you will be there with me, Master Oz.

Murr: Hey, Sage, are you drinking too? I've sampled so many different kinds that I ran out of fingers to count 'em on!

Akira: Um, doesn't that mean you drank a lot? Are you going to be okay?

Murr: It's fiiine! Even if ya run out of fingers, you still have plenty of toes! But isn't the Sage having juice tonight?

Akira: That's right. It's really delicious, so I'm happy I get to have as much as I want. But your drink is wine, right? Which year is it?

Murr: This one! The barrel with the big cross slashed on it!

Akira: Ah.

Immediately, Mr. Bacchus came flying over.

Bacchus: Hey…! Did you drink that wine?! I told you it was a failure!

Murr: How exactly did you fail, though? You won't know until you try it!

Bacchus: Well, yeah, I suppose that's right, but still…!

Murr: Everybody! Have you tried this one yet?

Rutile: Huh? Which one does he have?

Nero: What, is it somethin' super good?

Bacchus: Hey!! Cut it out! Murr, you're unbelievable!!

True to the rumors, Bacchus's wines and juices were all extremely tasty. The wizards all drank heartily, refilling their glasses again and again.

It was fun to compare them and discuss the difference in taste and feeling - even if the opinions only ended up settling on "delicious" and "more delicious".

We were all talking, arguing, and bantering, and before long, the wine cellar had taken on the lively atmosphere of a bar.

Nero: Oi, Brad ...ley. I think you've prob'ly had enough to drink.

Bradley: Don't gimme that. If anythin', go nag at the Southern kid here instead.

Rutile: Bacchus wine is really the best! Every single one is so yummy…! Hey, isn't that right, Mr. Faust?

Arthur: Rutile, you're talking to Master Oz.

Maybe it was because they had been drinking plenty of Bacchus wine, but everyone seemed more cheerful than usual.

At one point, at Arthur's request, Murr and Mr. Bacchus kicked off their shoes and began to demonstrate grape-stomping on the spot.

The two began to sing as they stomped happily on the empty floor. Their voices didn't quite match, and they were making up lyrics on the spot, but just watching it made me feel exhilarated.

Akira: Ahaha, this is so much fun. I think everyone is more drunk than usual.

Shylock: I suppose they are all in the right mood to get pleasantly intoxicated. It must be due to the exceptional taste of today's wine.

As Shylock and I took in the peaceful scene, Bradley approached us with a bottle of wine in hand.

Bradley: Oi, pipe-guy. Yer glass is lookin' way too empty.

Without waiting for Shylock's approval, Bradley took the glass from his hand and poured him some wine. 

Shylock: Are you going to serve me my drink? My, what an honor. …Oh, this wine.

A familiar bottle, with the label removed - Mr. Bacchus had only offered it as an afterthought. Calamity Wine.

Bradley: I still haven't heard your opinion on it.

To be honest, I was curious, too. What would Shylock do with such a troublesome thing - the wine that had fascinated the hearts of many people, and broken the heart of his friend Bacchus?

Shylock brought the glass to his lips and took a sip. Then, he took a few more sips, as though he wanted to be sure. Finally, he opened his mouth.

Shylock: ……It is certainly a beautiful drink.

Shylock: However, I don't think I would like to serve this wine at my own bar.

Akira: …Why not?

Shylock: Because it is too complete. There is no evolution, and no development. 

Shylock: Regardless of the time that has passed, this wine may retain its exact taste.

Shylock: But…

Shylock looked up through the crowd, and watched Bacchus sing.

Shylock: Bacchus wines will change. Every year, without fail, the flavors and aromas will intricately, delicately transform.

Shylock: I love to unravel how his effort, ambition, and affection are reflected in these subtle changes. He doesn't have to say a word, for his wine will do it for him.

Shylock: To allow a life's drama to stain your tongue, though its source is absent… That, I believe, is what it means to taste wine.

Bradley: …I knew you'd say that.

Bradley didn't say anything else, and returned to the group, looking satisfied.

The glass in Shylock's hand was once again empty. This time, he filled it with some sort of Bacchus wine.

Shylock: This is the wine that Bacchus gifted to me earlier.

Shylock: He told me that this was the very first wine he made at this winery. It was one of the few that he stored with magic, preserving it indefinitely.

Akira: That must make it very precious…

Shylock: Indeed, it is a wine to treasure. Bacchus insisted, saying that since I had been willing to give up Bennett wine, he would give me this in return.

The color was rich and beautiful, like liquid rubies. It swirled leisurely against the rounded bottom of the glass.

The depth of its color was astonishing and vivid - although it should have been made a long time ago, it appeared fresh, as if it had just been born.

I could tell, now, that it harbored the single-minded and devoted passion that the creator had for his work.

Shylock: No matter how much time has passed, and how much the world around him has changed, he will continue to make wine. And I will continue to eagerly await it…

Shylock: I'm looking forward to finding out what it will taste like this year. Just the thought of it makes my heart dance.

Shylock lowered his arm, his voice barely a murmur. As if harboring a deep love for a yet-unseen future. As if soaking in the imagined flavor of a treasured fantasy.

After a moment, his long eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes with a smile. He stared at me with eyes more deeply red than even the wine.

Shylock: Sage. Please, toast with me - to celebrate our continued fortune and happiness.

Akira: Yes, of course…!

What will the next wine produced by Mr. Bacchus taste like? What kind of dramatic tale will it tell?

We raised our glasses, each filled with new hope for the old wine.

That shared moment was warm and luxurious. Smiling at each other, we took a sip.

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Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10