"I have imbibed far more than this and survived." He squints, attempting to remember the grand total of what they finished upon Jinpachi's ship that night.

"Not that I would recommend such an endeavour. Actually, now that I think of it... the sake appeared in front of me in a strangely similar fashion. Every time I finished my drink, it was as if my cup was magically filled again, and if I set my cup down another cup found its way into my hand."

A mystery. Perhaps the pirates were more generous in their customs than he originally gave them credit for. He sips at his drink thoughtfully, and is startled to quickly reach the bottom of his glass. These sugary concoctions are dangerously easy to stomach.

On to the next. The stout glass filled only half-way.

"I have only heard of such a thing once, after wreckage of a foreign ship... the locals were saying they had found barrels of gold. There was nothing left by the time my Lord and I were able to investigate. It seems the barrels disappeared along with the fishermen. While we found no evidence of gold, the scent of the barrels was similar."

He swirls it around between his hands, gazing down into the amber depths.

"Do they give you so little because it is too valuable, or because it smells so strongly?"