Serving Black Tea
I served black tea. BOOM!
The defensive barrier that instinctively enveloped me in response to the massive explosion blocked out the deafening roar.
"As expected, a single grenade doesn't even scratch it. Next up, the cluster grenade."
"...How long do I have to keep doing this?"
"Who knows. Given the situation, I want to gather as much data as possible. Probably around four hours."
I'll die before that.
She's been dragging out all sorts of weapons—bullets, grenades, you name it—and blasting me with them nonstop. It's terrifying; I can't stay still.
Thankfully, the barrier pops up automatically to block the attacks, so I'm still alive for now.
KABOOM!
It seems to handle even cluster grenades perfectly. Is this just child's play for the mana of a magical girl like Ruby?
Unlike me, who let out a sigh of relief, Citrin looked frustrated as she jotted something down on her clipboard.
"Ah~ Next, railgun."
"Fuck me."
Why the hell jump from cluster grenades straight to a railgun? Does Silver Unit even have one of those?
In the midst of this endless experiment, I recalled the last thing Lapis had told me.
"Report immediately if anything happens to you. Investigating that mana takes priority over your lifespan, after all."
Apparently, verifying the mana Ravi gave me is the top priority right now.
So all that talk about my fate this and that got pushed to the back burner, and here I am, subjected to Citrin's battery of tests.
With the perfect facilities and a genius scientist to analyze mana, it's the ideal setup to uncover what this power really is.
"Hmm. Is the output too weak like this? Alright, cranking it up to three times..."
She might be too capable—my life might not survive it.
"Even so, isn't a railgun dangerous?"
"Quit whining, you wimp. Man up."
When my life's on the line, gender doesn't matter.
But I have to suck it up. I already owe 1.5 billion after smashing five of her guard robots.
After more tests on the barrier's durability, controlling the mana manually to cast spells, and all sorts of other experiments—
"Urgh..."
My exhausted body screamed for a break.
I'll probably be hit with muscle pain tomorrow. I'd been tensing muscles I never use.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Results are in."
As I slumped against the sofa, Citrin approached with a stack of papers.
"Bottom line: The mana you suddenly got matches magical girl Ruby's at 100%."
"As expected."
No shock there. It just confirmed what I already knew.
This proves Ravi had been secretly infusing me with her mana while getting close to me.
"Sure, anyone can lend mana temporarily... but yours is different."
As Citrin said, this wasn't a loan—it was practically a full transfer.
Is something like that even possible? It happened, so I can't deny it.
"Injecting that much mana would normally cause the existing mana in your body to clash with the new stuff, putting your life at risk."
"So that means..."
"Yeah. Since you had zero mana to begin with, you adapted relatively easily. Plus, your mana acts like it has a mind of its own, protecting you."
"There were exceptions, like just now."
"Oh right, it didn't activate when I kicked you earlier."
In other words, it doesn't bother unless it deems the threat real.
"......"
Is Ravi even human? The more I hear, the more my view of her changes.
"Anyway, that's all from me. Figure out the rest from the papers."
Citrin wrapped up abruptly and started walking away, looking drained—but then turned back, like she had more to say.
"Oh. Side note: Apologize properly to Amber later? It's annoying when she's moping; it stresses me out too."
"Yeah... of course."
I was a bit surprised. I didn't expect this pint-sized mad scientist to openly worry about someone.
Of course, Amber could probably befriend a wild bear if she tried. And it's no shock she's tight with fellow executives...
Citrin, huh.
I stared at her tiny frame, which I'd never really noticed before.
Her iconic blonde hair clashed with her petite build, and the white lab coat only amplified the disconnect.
She always came off as a experiment-obsessed nutjob, but up close, she had a surprisingly human side.
"......"
Since she'd helped me out in so many ways, maybe I should return the favor minimally.
I headed back to my department—labeled "Tactical Support" but really just a warehouse—and started brewing tea for her.
Is tea alone enough? Maybe something to eat too...
Rummaging through the fridge, I found the cheesecake I'd made yesterday. That should do nicely.
Back at the lab, I offered the tray to Citrin, who was glued to her computer.
"Black tea. And cheesecake from yesterday as a bonus."
"Black tea...?"
She parroted me with a puzzled look.
"Did you brew this?"
"Yeah. I guarantee the quality."
"Hmm, right—Amber got the cafe for her executive promotion."
"She's too busy with school, so I ended up running it."
She eyed the tea suspiciously but seemed intrigued enough.
"Why black tea, though? Cafes scream coffee to me."
"Great for recovery from fatigue. Chugging energy drinks like that must make sleep impossible."
I pointed to the pile of cans on her desk.
Black tea actually has more caffeine than coffee, but the theanine cuts the side effects, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and helps with sleep deprivation.
"...You're observant. Yeah, I haven't slept properly lately."
It's not just sleep. Her blood pressure and digestion are probably shot too.
She's poured her body into research, so I can't fix that, but a cup of tea is fine.
"No weird drugs in this, right?"
"What do you take me for..."
After heavy suspicion, she finally gave in to the mood and took a sip.
"...First black tea I've had. It's got a weird taste."
Not that surprising. This world doesn't do tea or coffee much.
Vending machines stock energy drinks instead of canned coffee.
So this is Citrin's first black tea experience.
I couldn't hide my excitement at taking the "first" from a petite blonde beauty, short as she is.
Get a grip.
"Here, pair it with the cheesecake."
I quickly pushed the slice on the round plate her way.
This is the star. It's a Cafe Eclipse regular staple with solid reviews, even without customers.
"Was gonna eat it anyway—don't rush me. Nom..."
Under my pressure, she clumsily forked a small piece into her mouth.
Her pupils dilated, her face lighting up with obvious surprise.
"...This is good. Been ages since sweets."
"Right?"
She looked like a kid tasting ice cream for the first time.
Probably survives on quick junk food. No wonder sweets are rare for her.
...Come to think of it, how old is she?
Watching her innocently puff her cheeks and munch cake sparked the question.
Amber said boss Lapis and the other exec Crystal are my age.
So how old was this cheek-stuffing Citrin? No clue.
Damn, it's bugging me.
I could ask Amber later, but some pointless stubbornness made me want to hear it from her.
She might even be younger than me, so risking rudeness, I asked—
"Me? Twenty-seven."
"......"
Way older than me.
A few days later.
After patching things up with Amber somehow, I was back to my routine when Lapis summoned me again.
"Magical girls Ruby and Sapphire are students at Jewelry Academia. And by some miracle, same class as Amber. Gotta be, right?"
"Can't confirm the second part yet, but Ruby for sure."
"Perfect timing. I wanted a Silver Unit branch there anyway. Move your cafe."
"Pardon?"
I'm screwed.