LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 240.2
Chapter 240.2. War Gains
What, it’s not all-you-can-drink? Ohki slumped his shoulders in disappointment.
The surrounding friends who overheard also sighed, “It’s not all you can drink?” in disappointment.
“You only got the ‘cellar’ part right. You’re always about alcohol, aren’t you?”
“Hey, I spend money on good friends too.”
“Friends with voluptuous figures, I’m sure.”
Baba took a sip of his drink. He wasn’t much of a saver anyway. Either way, they had nearly
five thousand soldiers on their side now. The rest would be up to President Sakimori to figure out…
As a senior, he too would need to come up with some ideas.
He looked around at his companions drinking. To an outsider, they might look like
a bunch of bums drinking in the middle of the day. But they were simply enjoying a break
after the fortress battle. With their wallets fattened, they were throwing a feast.
The table was crammed with mashed potatoes, salad, rice balls, boiled corn, roasted vegetables
from the autumn harvest, grilled meat, smoked meat dripping with juice, and dried fish.
The cups were filled to the brim with pure ale, practically overflowing.
The sheer amount of food and drink was something they couldn’t have imagined last year.
It was fair to say they were living in abundance.
At least for us.
But… perhaps because of that, it might be possible to show them the reality.
“A welcome party might not be a bad idea. What do you think?”
“Right? I was thinking the same thing.”
Ohki responded quickly to the word “welcome party.” The others around them perked up
at Baba’s muttered suggestion. These guys sure had sharp ears. Well, Baba didn’t mind either.
“I’ll propose it to the president. Let’s request a big, flashy welcome party.”
“A grand welcome party? I know a great liquor wholesaler we can use.”
“A grand welcome party would definitely make them happy. Let’s hold a feast
and show off our wealth.”
They would line up tons of food, prepare barrels of alcohol, sing, play music, and dance the night away.
It would be a festival before winter.
“Heh, I bet those soldiers will be shocked at our wealth! They’ve probably never seen this much food before.”
The paperboy, deciding that no one in the bar was going to buy any more newspapers today,
grinned cheekily as he helped himself to the food on the table.
Seeing the boy, who spoke as if there were no shadows over their future, Baba narrowed his eyes
and a hint of sadness flickered within them.
He really believes this is a feast. Well, Baba thought it was a feast too, in a way.
But what about the soldiers who knew the old world? …They probably wouldn’t think of it as a feast.
“I suppose I’ve grown accustomed to the president’s ways.”
“How so?”
“Nah, it’s nothing.”
Baba gave Ohki a curt reply and began considering the deeper implications of the welcome party.
How would those soldiers feel, seeing a crowd so excited over what they believed to be a feast?
The children would likely be happy, grinning as they enjoyed the food. But beyond the streets
that were still under reconstruction, in the distance, half-collapsed ruins and crumbled houses lined the horizon.
They would witness that scene.
Whether they liked it or not, they would be forced to confront reality.
What the soldiers would think afterward, Baba couldn’t predict.
Would they be motivated to improve this world, or would they sink into the routine
of daily life, losing their sense of purpose? Would they live in apathy or despair?
“As the president often says, ‘Reality is harsh.’”
Baba sighed, lamenting that they had to use a festival to teach people about reality.
It was a bitter plan. But, perhaps, it was better than doing nothing.
“Hey, Ohki-kun, I’d love to order the smoked meat platter~”
“And can I order the Jean-Perrier?”
“Go ahead, order whatever you like! Oh, and just so you know, my name isn’t Ohki-kun, alright?”
Seeing Ohki, surrounded by the hostesses, with a broad grin despite it being winter,
Baba quietly resolved to give him some work to do soon.