(MC POV)
"As expected of the Master."
"He's really hard to strip."
"Even the top class 'Alcohol Meister' wasn't able to make him strip huh."
"I was so sure the famed 'Bar Fairy' would have made him strip but she got lectured instead…"
"I wonder just what it would take to make him strip?"
I'm surprised the audience that came to watch could say these things so openly…
Even though we've made it known that our bar would be hosting this event and that entry required the purchase of a ticket, there were a lot more people than I expected coming to spectate the competition.
It's now looking more like an exhibition than a competition which I suppose was the idea since people would be able to see and compare the skills of these bartenders first hand.
Some of the competitors even made extra drinks to be left on the bar counter where the audience were able to try them out, which I suspect was done partly to preserve their pride since I most likely would not strip while the audience might.
Already, some onlookers had been stripped of their clothes while looking very satisfied with their drink, the sight of their nakedness not even fazing anyone around them in the slightest.
So far, everyone has at least given me a drink to try but failed to make me strip. It wasn't that I was making it hard for them but for me, I have yet to find one that is actually good enough. All of them had one problem or another that I pointed out and while they learned from that, it seems like their pride did not allow them to simply remake the drink according to my suggestions and serve it to me again. At least they did note down my advice to use for the future.
But with the fact that I have drunk so many and have yet to strip even once did not sit well with a few of the competitors.
That's not to say that none of the drinks I have tasted today were bad, they were just not good enough.
One particular bearded bartender about a head taller than me furrowed his brows when I still did not strip after sipping his fifth cocktail.
Before I could point out its flaws, he snatched the glass angrily from me.
"That's it! You've done something that prevents yourself from stripping haven't you?! How is it possible that no one else has managed to make you strip at all?! You must have taken some drug or something! I bet when your apprentice gives you her creation, you'll strip immediately!"
I raised my eyebrow at him, "My apologies, Mister Zack, but I assure you I have not taken or done anything to myself that would prevent me from stripping. Plus, Brendan has already served me two drinks and I have yet to strip."
To be honest, Brendan was just holding herself back since she knew if everyone failed on their first try except for her, it would look like I was biassed.
The only thing was that the others could clearly tell she was holding back since the drinks she made were all hilariously simple to make.
Zack growled at me before gesturing to the drink in his hand, "I've made you my Dragonslayer! The best drink I have that even made world renowned critics strip! How can you sit there and drink it without even showing any reaction! You definitely dulled your senses!"
I pointed to the drink he was holding, "Have you tried tasting your own drink recently?"
"Ha? Of course not. I've tasted it so many times during its creation, why would I continue drinking it after it has been perfected? Everytime I drank it, I would definitely strip!"
I sighed, "Why don't you taste it for yourself?"
He let out another growl of discontent before doing what I suggested, sipping the cocktail that he had made.
A moment passed but Zack remained clothed with no signs of his clothes being ripped apart.
"Wha… What? Why?! How?!" He cried out, looking at the drink. "This… This… No! It must be because I've gotten used to the taste!"
I shook my head and got up from my seat, moving towards the bar counter while taking off my vest.
"That's not the case Zack… It might be true that your creation was so good that others would strip the moment they tried it, but you've grown complacent and started cutting corners. You no longer take the same amount of care in preparing your drinks and you prioritise quantity over quality now."
"What… What do you know?!"
"Would you care to try a Dragonslayer made by someone else? If this doesn't strip you because you've truly gotten used to the taste, then I will shred my bartending licence right here and now."
The people occupying the bar quickly gave way to me when I reached there, allowing me to start pulling out bottles and the ingredients needed to make his Dragonslayer.
I then gestured for his glass and he handed it to me while still looking quite mortified. He did not answer my challenge but it was clear he was curious if I could do it.
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I won't be the one making it.
Everyone thought I would be making my own version of it but I then went ahead to hand the glass to Brendan.
"Taste this, then make it."
Everyone let out a gasp of surprise, even Brendan looked taken aback by my request.
Nevertheless, my alchemist nodded before taking a sip of the alcoholic drink, spending a few seconds to taste it before putting the glass down.
She then started using the tools and ingredients I already set on the table to mix the drink, moving with such speed and precision you'd think she had been making this drink her whole life.
There was absolutely no hesitation at all in her movements, a fact that everyone noticed quite clearly. If you were making a drink for the first time, surely you would at least hesitate or think about the steps while making the drink right? But Brendan showed no such hesitations.
In a few minutes, she was done with the mixing and poured out the drink into a glass before setting it on the bar.
She then turned to me with an uncertain look and I nodded, prompting her to turn back to Zack.
"You used less force than you should while shaking it and you used too much ice in yours. Plus, you did not balance out each of the alcohol used and poured a little more gin than you should have," Brendan explained.
Zack gritted his teeth before swiping Brendan's creation of the counter, tossing it back to drink the entire glass in a single gulp.
The moment he did so, his clothes were instantly torn apart, leaving him standing buck naked in front of the bar.
He held that pose for a moment before slowly placing the empty glass on the counter.
"Im… Impossible…" He cried before sinking to his knees in defeat.
I then turned to Brendan, "Isn't it about time you stopped holding back? I think it's time you show off your real skill so make enough for everyone in here, alright?"
She smirked, understanding that this was to make sure I wasn't the only one who would be stripped.
"Of course, Master. Please give me a moment and I shall prepare your drink immediately!"
How reliable~
