Desserts to Pair with Coffee
A new target wishes to commune with you.
Target compatible with Beast Taming: Johnson (Dwarf, Lv.109 / None)
Do you accept the communion?
The system windows suddenly layered themselves in front of me, asking whether I would accept the communion. For a moment my head went blank from sheer disbelief. It was no wonder—the target the system had chosen for communion was utterly bizarre. My skill was clearly Beast Taming, yet it was offering communion with something that wasn’t even a beast. Of course, dragons themselves were hardly simple animals, but… perhaps after the skill ranked up to S, it had become possible to commune with non-animals as well.
‘Johnson, huh. So he’s 109 years old. And this is obviously because of what I’m baking right now.’
Beyond the system alert, I could see Johnson. His nose twitched, eyes sparkling. His brown irises, usually hidden beneath those bushy eyebrows, were now fully visible. It seemed his favorability toward me had shot up just from the aroma drifting over the oven. I appreciated the recognition of my skills, but even so, there was no way I was going to waste one of my precious slots on a male.
Communion declined. There was nothing to think about. I shook my head immediately. Getting any closer than this would be too much of a burden.
Communion with the target has been terminated.
Favorability with the target is maintained, but no corresponding perks will be granted.
Once communion is declined, the connection can never be reestablished.
The moment I voiced my refusal in my mind, another holographic screen appeared. It listed hidden clauses one after another, like fine print in an insurance policy.
‘Couldn’t they just tell me all this at once?’
It felt like a world that had only recently started its service—poorly optimized. What if declining communion had reset favorability or turned the target hostile? The message about losing perks was annoying, but if I was going to receive any bonuses, I wanted them from dragons. Come to think of it, I hadn’t received any special perks from Derke either. I should look into that when I get the chance.
“Haa, that smells absolutely mouthwatering!”
While I was closing the alert windows one by one, a voice of admiration came from across the table. Johnson had climbed right onto the tabletop, nose twitching, shoes still on.
‘He’s crossing the line.’
He looked like a wild boar that had raided a village, sniffing over the fence. Watching him like this, I was certain I would never accept communion even if the opportunity arose again.
“How long has it been since I last smelled something this good…!”
Wait a second? Did he just say “how long has it been”?
“Johnson, sir?”
“What is it? Aren’t you going to take it out of the oven before it burns?”
“Ah, I’ll handle that myself… But did you come over here on purpose because this matches your tastes?”
I asked the question while pulling the perfectly golden-brown dessert from the oven. It had baked just right—no burnt spots, a glossy deep-brown surface. The coffee grounds and sugar mixed into the dough released a subtle sweet aroma that filled the lounge. What I had made wasn’t cookies, but coffee biscuits.
“Is my taste the important thing right now?! Just give me one already! I’ll taste it and see!”
“……”
From Johnson’s reaction, it was obvious. This had definitely been tailored to his preferences. Otherwise he wouldn’t be this frantic. I had asked the dragons for their tastes, not for a dwarf who would go crazy over my special syrup. It felt a little like I’d been tricked, but the result was still quite satisfying. I had achieved the best possible outcome with limited ingredients.
“Ahem, just a moment.”
Still, Johnson had helped me, so…
—Rattle, clack…!
I took the tray of baked biscuits from the oven and transferred them to a plate. Then I handed Johnson one that was still piping hot.
“Much obliged!”
I picked one up for myself as well, hoping it wouldn’t be all show and no substance. At least the appearance and smell passed the test.
—Crunch…!
Without hesitation, Johnson and I both took a bite. The heat from the oven had dried out the moisture, giving the biscuits a crisp texture. When they broke apart, a gentle coffee aroma filled our mouths.
“Is it… good?!”
Maybe it was the sugar soaked into the coffee grounds. The scent was almost like a cappuccino—sweetness took the lead, but not in an unpleasant way.
“This is… truly magnificent……”
The balanced sweetness was exactly the kind of flavor that called for coffee.
—Drip…!
To check how well it paired with coffee, I poured a cup with nothing added.
“Ahem…!”
Of course, I poured one for Johnson too, who was watching me expectantly.
—Crunch, crunch, crunch!
—Slurp…!
We stopped talking and focused on eating and drinking. The crisp biscuit filled my mouth first. Sweetness wrapped gently around my tongue, while a subtle coffee note lingered at the end.
—Sip…!
Drinking coffee at this moment was perfect. A sip of coffee followed by a bite of biscuit. It was an ideal combination of well-brewed coffee and a flawless dessert. At first glance the coffee-plus-coffee pairing seemed like it might be too much, but like café biscuits sold in stores, it harmonized beautifully. The coffee tempered the biscuit’s gentle sweetness, making it the perfect accompaniment.
“This is truly perfect…! I never expected your skills to be this good.”
Johnson showered me with praise. Normally full of complaints, his stern expression had melted away thanks to the sweetness of the biscuits.
“I like it very much! With flavor like this, I could eat them every single day……”
Johnson kept heaping on compliments while subtly reaching for the tray of biscuits. The fact that he was attempting to steal them with those short arms meant he really liked them.
“I’ll pack some for you, so stop that.”
“Ahem…! Th-thank you.”
When I wrapped several biscuits in paper and handed them over, Johnson cleared his throat awkwardly. While I was at it, I set aside a few for Derke as well—a small thank-you for giving me confidence about my cookies.
“By the way, sir? If it’s like this, the dragons—er, the young ladies—will like it too, right?”
“Of course! A dessert that stays true to the basics like this will definitely satisfy them! I guarantee it!”
Johnson, who had been making exaggerated chewing noises that didn’t match his appearance, declared confidently.
“Then which is better—my predecessor’s work, or the coffee biscuits I just made?”
“Cough, hack……?!”
Johnson choked on his biscuit at my sudden question, scattering crumbs all over his beard. He stared at me with a flustered expression.
“Would you like some water?”
“N-no need…! Why are you suddenly bringing up my predecessor?”
My current position was dorm supervisor… and lounge manager, and stable manager. I was the single replacement filling multiple vacancies. I had been dragged here as a slave without even knowing the exact charges. There must have been some reason the previous person was replaced. I was curious about the story of my predecessor, who had left the academy without any handover. He was probably the one who had prepared all the baking supplies and the oven in the lounge.
“I’d at least like to know how he worked… and why the dorm supervisor position suddenly became vacant.”
“Th-that’s not something you need to know. It was quite a while ago, so even I’m a bit fuzzy on the details……”
“No, I’m curious. The fact that you and the others are reluctant to talk about it means it involves the young ladies, doesn’t it?”
“……”
Johnson didn’t answer easily. He really wasn’t good at lying—his face gave everything away.
“…Ahem. Yes. That’s right.”
Johnson finally replied after wetting his throat with coffee. My hunch had been correct.
“Then please tell me.”
“Why should I—”
“…Since you’ve already helped this much, please help me all the way. I’m asking you.”
—Rustle!
I held out the paper bag of portioned biscuits like a bribe. Offering the whole bag this time ought to make him think twice.
“Haa… If you’re going to beg like that……”
As expected, Johnson accepted the bag with a reluctant expression and continued.
“…Just don’t go running off in shock, all right?”
Current time: 12:50 a.m. Lunch would be ending soon. The entrance ceremony had probably finished in the morning. The outside had definitely been noisier than usual for a while now.
—Clack, thud!
Rustle…!
But I had skipped lunch and stayed holed up alone in the lounge kitchen. I hadn’t even had time to step out and check the situation outside. The reason was simple: I was still baking biscuits. I was making extra so there wouldn’t be any shortage. At first I had thought the ones I’d already baked would be enough, but after hearing Johnson’s story about my predecessor, I changed my mind.
—Not all of them, but most of the young ladies have strong pride. They’re like the goddesses of the Drango Continent, so if you offend them even a little, it’s over.
I already knew that much, but Johnson’s face was unusually serious. According to him, calling them goddesses was just a polite way of saying they were basically gangsters.
—Especially! Don’t touch their pride!
Johnson repeatedly emphasized “pride” and warned me to be careful. Dragons considered themselves the supreme beings and had extremely high self-esteem. After all, they could wield the divine authorities granted to them by the gods.
—Your predecessor’s skills were average, but he was still a fairly diligent human. Even so, he ended up turned into charcoal and thrown into the sea. Know why?
Johnson warned me again, using my predecessor’s horrific fate as an example.
—He was serving coffee and tea to the young ladies as usual. But while serving, he accidentally stepped on one of their tails. A dragon’s tail is an extremely sensitive area—one they most want to keep hidden. I didn’t have time to ask why dragons insisted on human forms or why that particular dragon had left her tail out, but the important thing was not to offend their moods or step on their tails.
After telling me everything, Johnson left in a hurry, as if afraid someone might overhear. And so I was left alone, quietly baking biscuits.
「Dooong—!」
Right on cue, the grandfather clock chimed. It sounded especially solemn today. Yes—the fateful moment had finally arrived.
‘Please don’t let this be the end of my life here……’
1:00 p.m. The time when lunch ended. Just as the chime faded—
—Thududududududududududu…!!!
From afar came the sound of countless footsteps shaking the ground. Yes, what was meant to come had come. The sound of those prideful young ladies charging forward without a shred of dignity.