Aurora poked the coffee jelly curiously, watching it with great interest as it jiggled back and forth.
"Hey! Paws off!" Ryu said, shooing her away.
He had taken the batch out of the fridge early that morning, hoping that the wait staff would sample the jelly and give their opinions. It glistened on the tray, dew drops rolling down the side of the dark dessert. With tiny spoons held at the ready, the staff dug into the coffee jelly eagerly.
Sylfie, of course, was the first to pierce the soft yet elastic treat, attempting to gobble down as much as she could.
"I'll make more for you, relax, you cocoa fiend!" he grunted, wrenching the jelly from the elf.
"Just one more bite!" she exclaimed.
"Is it that good?" Ryu asked.
"Yes!" She made another pass at the jelly, pulling on Ryu's tie as he extended his arm, holding the dessert away from her.
He turned to the rest of the staff. "So I take it, you all like it as well?"
They nodded in unison, taking another spoonful while eyeing Sylfie carefully. They made sure to stay out of arm's reach as she frothed at the mouth.
Ryu set the tray back down on the table, taking a spoonful for himself. The jelly melted in his mouth, breaking into little pieces as the sugar dissolved on his tongue. Sweet and slightly bitter. He savored the bite, chewing sparingly as the morsel disappeared down his throat. Tastes like home. He chuckled. This was one thing he did miss from Earth. Lucky for him, he could make it anytime he wanted here.
"You need help, lady," Ryu sighed, relenting and handing Sylfie the rest of the jelly.
He placed a hand over his mouth in shock as he witnessed her regress into a primal state, hunched over and grunting as she finished off the coffee jelly like it was a fresh piece of meat. The image would forever haunt Ryu's nightmares.
"Ryu, can I have a piece?" Aurora asked, making doe eyes at him.
"Not a chance. I know you won't die, but you're going to get sick, and I don't want to be stuck cleaning up the mess," he stated bluntly.
Aurora scoffed, scrunching her little face angrily. "Poo! You suck!"
Ryu pinched the bridge of his nose. They hadn't even opened yet and already he was dealing with two headaches.
"I'll give you a cup of whipped cream if you stop bugging me."
"Deal!" Aurora scampered off happily, doing her daily rounds of the café, exploring every nook and cranny.
"And you—" he dragged Sylfie back behind the counter— "we've got to get ready for your first day."
Just like the night prior, they went over the steps to make a pour-over, repeating them until Sylfie had memorized the process by heart. They conducted a few test runs in which Sylfie brewed another perfect pot. Ryu was surprised at how fast she picked up brewing with proper guidance.
"It runs in our blood," Hazel said, emerging from the back of the café. She had been observing them quietly, deciding not to interfere. "You're a good teacher. Now, let's see if you're a good student as well."
They left Sylfie to her work as she continued to practice her brew. There was still a half hour left before the café opened. Hazel led Ryu back to the Dark Elf contraption she had used to make the floral espresso a few days back.
"You've seen how I make the espresso, now I want you to try making a cup by yourself. Of course, you'll need the right incantation to do so. Listen closely," she said. "Because of the temporal field given off by the Volthalla Plant's beans, we'll need to cast the spells you've learned in a specific order to deshield it and make it safe for consumption."
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.
Ryu pitched in to help her when he had some time to spare, picking up the slack.
"I've been meaning to ask, how are armor drops determined?" he inquired as he worked. "I earned some after killing those slimes, but I don't exactly know how the system determines the rewards."
"Hmm?" Sylfie raised her head from the counter, looking frazzled. "Oh, skill and armor acquisition depends on a variety of factors such as your level, previously acquired equipment, attributes, and the monsters you slay.
The lower your level, the lower your chances of getting high-tier gear and skills. This percentage is offset by the areas you visit and the monsters you face, increasing as you go to more dangerous locations and fight stronger enemies," she said. "Your sapphire gear is [Uncommon]. Not the best but not the worst either."
"Good to know, and it explains why I got [Swift Foot] so early!" Ryu snapped his fingers.
"I'm glad to see you're still so chipper," Sylfie groaned, sinking slowly behind the counter.
Ryu shrugged. "You'll get the hang of it."
He spotted the mage from earlier across the room, handing the reins of the pour-over station back to Sylfie as he made his way over.
Upon seeing Ryu, the mage stepped back swiftly. Sharp icicles formed in the air behind her as she addressed him with displeasure. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to talk to you about your abilities and what it takes to specialize in water magic. See, I gained a lot of water-based skills in the Slime—"
"I don't care," the mage scoffed. "I don't like you, foreigner. I didn't like you when you first arrived, and after yesterday? Forget it. Don't even think about coming near me again."
Ryu walked back, dejected. "Jeez," he sighed.
"Well, you only have yourself to blame," Sylfie pointed out. "Your little display last night didn't do you any favors with the ladies."
Ryu groaned. He just wanted some advice. It wasn't like he was going to steal any more undergarments.
They finished the day strong—at least Ryu did—before the café closed and the guild's tavern opened. He picked Sylfie up from off the floor, filling up an empty cup with whipped cream.
"Aurora!" he called. "I have your cup!" Ryu clicked his tongue. Where is she?
"Like the black panther, I stalk my prey silently, waiting and watching. Then...I strike from the shadows!" Aurora exclaimed, pouncing on Ryu's shoulder. She had appeared out of thin air.
"How did you do that?" he asked, bewildered.
"Hehe, a new skill has been unlocked, Ryu. I grow stronger by the minute, nya."
"Oh really? Did Hazel unlock a hidden skill for you too?"
Aurora shook her head. "No, it was the nice lady dressed in blue over there." She pointed at the water mage.
Nice?
"She played with me while you two were working. I don't think she has any friends," Aurora said.
The mage did seem lonely. She was sitting by herself, far removed from the other adventurers that trailed in. Come to think of it, why was she here so early? And why hadn't she left the café at all today?
Ryu's train of thought was interrupted as Hazel came rushing from the back, looking distraught.
"I have some very bad news. Today's espresso sales were through the roof."
"Gramma Hazel I think you got the words mixed up. That's very good news, nya," Aurora corrected her.
"That's just it, we're out of Volthalla beans! Ryu—"
"Nope, no way. I'm not going back into the Wildlands until whatever wack situation going on over there is dealt with," Ryu said firmly.
"Don't worry, you won't need to travel to the Wildlands. I get my Volthalla beans from a supplier that lives in the capital. They usually come down here after their expeditions but there seem to be some issues at the Guild Association, likely related to what we discussed yesterday. So, I'll need someone to go to the capital to pick up the beans," Hazel explained.
"The capital?!" Sylfie pushed Ryu out of the way, suddenly rejuvenated. "Do you really mean it, Grandmother?"
Hazel nodded. "Someone needs to watch the café, so I'm trusting you three to get my shipment of beans here as soon as possible. Until then, espresso is off the menu, unfortunately."
Sylfie turned to Ryu, excitedly. "Did you hear that?"
"Yes, I heard! You pushed me, remember?! I was standing right next to you!"
"We're really going to go to the capital!" Sylfie cheered. "Aurora, Ryu, pack your bags! Because tomorrow, we leave for Kopi City!"