I Became a Barista in Another World! Volume 1: New Beginnings [Completed]

Cup 18: Hidden Skills and Magic Brews

Ryu waited patiently as Hazel filled the glass flask with water and lit a fire underneath it, bringing it to a boil. She motioned for him to follow along as she cast each spell. "First, to minimize the effects of the temporal decay, we cast [Nullify]. Then, to prevent leakage, we'll cast [Petrify]. Finally, we'll cast [Purify] to process our grounds and expel any remaining magical residue. Seems simple enough, right?"

Ryu followed her steps to a tee, scratching his head as he finished processing his grounds. The preparation was simple, so why did he get the feeling that Hazel hadn't revealed everything yet?

"You're perceptive," she remarked. "The difficulty, as I said before, lies in the regulation of temperature and pressure. An espresso is simply a coffee that's been extracted under high pressure. Volthalla espresso is a little bit different. Too high a pressure causes the flavor to overwhelm the senses and too low of a pressure waters down the drink," she explained.

"Sounds like a regular espresso. I don't see what's different other than the bean and the incantations?" Ryu remarked.

Hazel smirked as if waiting for him to ask the question. She poked Ryu on the forehead. "[Reveal]."

Ryu's eyes flashed, and he fell back in surprise.

[Hidden Skill Revealed]

[Hidden Bonus Revealed]

[Skill Acquired: Reveal]

[Level 4 Bonus: Pressure Stabilization]

Come to think of it, he didn't remember seeing any messages in his skill card when he had reached [Level 4].

"Did I startle you?" Hazel laughed. "[Reveal] is quite an inconvenient skill to acquire, since it requires unlocking by a person who already possesses it. The skill is useful nonetheless in uncovering many secrets."

How did the first person with the skill get it then? Ryu wondered.

"Here, use the bonus you received to make an espresso for me," Hazel said, rifling through her pockets.

Ryu obliged, using [Pressure Stabilization] to pull down the lever. This time, it sank without resistance. He squirmed uncomfortably as the device sapped him of his energy. The process of pouring a shot of Volthalla espresso felt like a game of tug-of-war as he struggled to maintain a stable flow.

Hazel procured a small sphere, placing it on the ground. The sphere rolled forward, unfolding into a small golem. The golem raised its arms, waiting for something. Ryu stared at the shot of espresso in his hand and gave it to the expecting golem. It took a sip, smiling pleasantly.

"It worked, I did it!" he cheered.

Hazel shook her head, pointing at the golem. Ryu cringed in horror as it writhed on the floor in agony, covered in purple flowers. He started to sweat. Thank God no one drank that...no person at least.

Many a golem were sent to their doom before Ryu managed to regulate the pressure of the Volthalla espresso consistently. They held a moment of silence for the fallen, lighting a candle.

Sylfie burst into the room in a panic, interrupting the vigil. "They're here!"

"Show me what you got!" Hazel said, slapping Ryu on the back.

"Haha, of course!" He forced a grin. Please don't let me kill anyone.

Ryu manned the espresso station, handing the shots to Hazel as he made them. He had a sneaking suspicion she was testing each cup to make sure their customers didn't drop dead.

He popped by Sylfie's station from time to time over the course of the day, checking up on her. She seemed to be doing well making the pour-overs, though she had a bit of difficulty keeping up with the orders.