Reborn As A Beastman With A System

"Guest, might you be interested in purchasing some wine?" Gando, the wine shop owner, approached Logan, who had been pondering at the shop's entrance for quite some time.

This query snapped Logan back to the present.

Observing the proprietor, Logan noted that he was a foxman. This didn't come as a surprise, as he had encountered many foxmen owners during his visits to over twenty wine shops in the area. Logan knew that fox people were often considered strategists among the beastman races, renowned for their intelligence, which likely contributed to their prevalence in the trade.

While other races like beastmen, bunny, cat, tiger, lion, kobolds, and other beastmen were also traders, certain races like quilboars, centaurs, gnolls, and lizardfolk were seldom seen in such roles. Indeed, the role one played in beastman society seemed almost predestined from birth.

"Hello, how many varieties of wine do you carry here?" Logan inquired, glancing at the large array of wine casks lining the shop.

Gando looked at Logan with a hint of curiosity. Any regular patron or local would know that all the wine shops in this canyon city stocked the same three types. "We have three varieties: tequila rice wine, mountain wheat wine, and blue fruit wine," he answered pleasantly, masking his surprise at such a basic question.

Logan nodded, his suspicions confirmed. Tequila, reportedly imported from the human world, was the priciest, while the mountain wheat wine, known to be a dwarven brew, suggested it might be a well-aged vintage given its strength compared to the others. The process of aging was crucial in enhancing the potency of such fermented wines.

Blue fruit wine, he learned, was derived from a fruit known as the blue fruit, a creation purportedly originating from beastmen innovation, akin to a traditional beastmen brew.

"Do you want to try it? I have a two-year-old batch of mountain wheat wine here. It has a rich aroma and is quite rare," Gando offered, his tone suggesting pride in this particular vintage, sourced from reliable wine merchants.

"That wine is too strong for me. I'll have half a pound of the blue fruit wine instead," Logan chuckled. Among the options, the fruit wine appealed to him more for its milder taste.

"Right away, sir!" Gando replied, quickly pouring the requested blue fruit wine into a wooden flask.

"That will be one hundred and twenty-five copper coins."

"I'll use a payment card," Logan responded, pulling out his card as he accepted the flask.

"Okay, it totals to one hundred and twelve points."

Logan entered the amount on his card, then touched it against Gando's card to complete the transaction.

Instead of leaving immediately, Logan took a moment to taste the wine. It was light, almost like a fruit juice, lacking any strong alcoholic kick.

"Boss, I've heard that all the wine here is imported. Isn't there anywhere in the city that brews its own wine?" Logan asked, his question veiled with genuine curiosity.

Gando gave Logan a puzzled look. "Brew wine in the city?" he echoed, a bit taken aback by the naivety of the question. Still, he saw no harm in indulging his customer.

"All our wine comes from human, dwarf lands, or other beastman territories. There are no local winemakers in this city," Gando explained patiently.

"Winemaker?" Logan echoed, his interest piqued. "Are they that rare?"

"Yes, winemakers are scarce. Even in the human realms, they're not common. Most winemakers are well-known entrepreneurs, and few would consider relocating to a remote town like this to start a vineyard," Gando shared, a hint of amusement in his smile as he gauged Logan's reaction.

Although Gando's response was brief, it gave Logan much to consider, especially realizing that his query might have come off as somewhat naive. He understood that winemaking, like many crafts in more class-stratified or knowledge-guarded societies—was a valuable skill, preserved by those who mastered it to maintain their fortunes.

"Thank you for the insight, I appreciate it. Take care, boss," Logan said, acknowledging his brief lapse into ignorance with a polite nod before leaving the shop.

Later that afternoon, Logan returned to Casa Hotel carrying two bags full of supplies, curious about the unusual quietness and the closed doors. As he pushed open the door, a pungent aroma of alcohol assaulted his senses, nearly overwhelming him.

The scene inside the lobby was chaotic: tables littered with leftovers, beastmen and wild boars sprawled across the floor, and nearly a dozen 20-pound wooden barrels of wine near the entrance.

"What in the world...?" Logan muttered under his breath, his confusion turning into irritation as he surveyed the aftermath of an apparent feast.

In a fit of anger, Logan dropped his bags with a thud and kicked the nearest beastman, who happened to be snoring amidst the disarray.

The loud boom of the kick startled the beastman awake. Realizing it was Logan standing over him, fear mingled with his drunken haze.

"Chief...Lord Chief..." the beastman stuttered, scrambling to his feet.

"Wake everyone up, now!" Logan bellowed, his voice echoing menacingly through the hall.

Scrambling to comply, the inebriated beastman's voice roused not only those littering the first floor but also their companions from the second and third floors. As they gathered in the lobby, facing a fuming Logan whose expression was dark as thunder, a heavy silence filled the air, none daring to speak a word.

Logan's gaze swept across the room, hard and unforgiving, finally settling on Tyton, Cardia, and Gava, who stood before him reeking of alcohol.

"What happened here?" Logan's voice was icy, his demeanor stern.

"There aren't even any guards on duty. Has all sense of discipline evaporated? Speak up!"

Tyton stepped forward, summoning his courage. "It's about the previous owner of Casa Hotel, sir. She came looking for you, but you weren't here, so she decided to wait."

"She brought drinks and food... everyone was tempted and indulged a bit..."

"A bit? You call this a bit?" Logan interrupted, gesturing to the disarray and drunken beastmen around him. "Everyone is drunk, and you two, as leaders, should have been setting an example. I'm deeply disappointed."

"And where is this woman now?" Logan asked, his brow furrowed.

What was her angle in all this? He considered the amount of wine and food, which surely cost a sizeable sum. Was there a hidden motive behind her generosity?

"Forget it. Clean this mess up. I won't hold it against you this time, but there will not be a next time," Logan declared, his tone slightly softened by a realization. If the woman was willing to host such generosity, perhaps it wasn't entirely misplaced to accept. After all, occasions for such feasts were rare for his crew.

"Take these two bags to the kitchen. I need some food sent up to the fifth floor," he commanded, his anger subsiding.

"Yes, sir!" came the collective response, a mix of relief and obedience filling the air as his crew hastened to tidy the place

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