Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Elf and the Coffee Farm (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Mm. All done."
With that, I finished tying the apron on Liza's work uniform from behind—the one I'd forgotten to prepare yesterday because of that uninvited guest. White shirt, black skirt, brown apron. Even at a glance, Liza looked just like a part-time cafe worker.
Even her pretty silver hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail, which suited the look perfectly since this was still a restaurant, even if it was just about brewing coffee.
"I really feel like an actual clerk now."
"You are an actual clerk."
"Won't we stop when the manager gets back?"
"If you want to keep going, we can."
I knew she had talent as an adventurer and was putting in the effort, but it was dangerous work. Having some insurance—a way to make a living even if she quit—would put her mind at ease, right?
Sometimes people with minor injuries pushed themselves into the labyrinth without rest because they needed money right away, and that's when problems happened.
She seemed to understand what I meant and nodded. Satisfied, I headed back to work. She'd picked up everything quickly enough to handle a single serving on her own—excluding drip coffee, which required a lot of hands-on practice and experience, or roasting, which needed all sorts of knowledge. She really was impressive.
And it was convenient having her help with tasks or clean tables and such.
"I want to work here too."
"No openings."
"Hng."
Karin, looking exhausted—probably from all the suffering she hadn't let on while I was away—pouted and whined. It seemed Yumin had been a real pain. She wasn't used to dealing with this kind of mess and looked utterly dejected.
Good grief.
"So, what happened?"
"Well, it's kind of..."
Karin explained with a guilty look, and my head started to ache. Yumin had always trailed after me as a kid, sticking his nose in everything, and apparently he'd caused every kind of incident imaginable.
Good thing I'd chased him off quickly yesterday.
Feeling a bit sorry for her, I broke off a big chunk of the chocolate I had on hand and set it out. Her gloomy expression brightened a little with the sweet treat, but the dark circles under her eyes weren't going anywhere.
"...I didn't really hear where you were going, Manager. Mind if I ask? Or maybe it's better not to know for my own happiness."
"Nah, it's not that big a deal. My destination's a coffee farm in the southwest of the Empire. Figured I'd knock out some things I wanted to do on the way."
"The southwest? Isn't that where those elves ride around on horseback?"
"Yeah, near the southern border. Not sure if I'll actually go that far."
The south had a harsh climate, not exactly livable, so the people there were tough as nails. Even the elves, who loved going on about harmony with nature, had it rough down there. They leveraged their racial affinity for nature to live like nomadic horse riders.
They tamed the notoriously stubborn, ill-tempered horses of the south—beasts in a league of their own—thanks to their tribal gifts. Or they used their plant manipulation to grow fodder for them in barren lands. Stuff like that.
Naturally, they ate whatever was edible, so no such thing as vegetarianism.
"...Elves."
Mina, who'd been face-down on the table next to me all day, suddenly sat up. Her messy hair made her look a wreck, but when she heard I was leaving this week, she'd latched onto me in that state.
"Got something for you related to that."
"Pardon?"
"Ta-da."
A flashy bracelet popped out of Big Sis Mina's pocket.
I wondered what it was, but since she was giving it to me, I leaned in close. Suddenly, it wrapped around my wrist like a pair of handcuffs and clicked shut.
...No danger detected, but that motion was pretty intimidating.
"It's the symbol of my elf tribe. Only people I approve of can wear it."
"...Impressive, but what does it mean?"
"Elves don't attack anyone wearing one—it's a pact of non-aggression between tribes."
"Surprisingly practical."
But would it work on humans too? As if reading my mind, Big Sis added:
"Specifically, it means 'my man.' Touch him and die."
"Can I take this off?"
"Only I can remove it."
Good lord. If I walked into elf territory like this, they'd think I was some other tribe's son-in-law. Mina pouted at my subtle expression.
I mean, come on.
Having proof like this meant she must've been someone important in her tribe. I'd guessed from her behavior, etiquette, and the occasional hints, but I hadn't expected her to just hand over an item like this so openly.
"You can hide it normally."
"Only show it when things get dangerous?"
"That works. Or just wear it all the time—easier that way."
"...Thanks. I'll use it gratefully."
It clung comfortably, clearly infused with magic. Well, since she'd given it to me, I'd take good care of it and return it undamaged.
She'd take it back... right?
I eyed the now-face-down Big Sis suspiciously, but she didn't stir.
"Manager."
"Hm? Something you wanna ask?"
"Yes. Any equipment you're planning to bring?"
"Gonna disassemble the drip setup and the simple drip cold brew gear and pack it all."
"Makes sense. I still can't use that stuff well anyway..."
"And I'm the only one who drinks drip coffee."
"Huh? I love that one the most."
What. Someone else who appreciated the clean yet rich flavor unique to drip coffee.
I shed a tear of emotion inwardly for a moment, then promised her a cup later.
Karin ordered another, so I pulled an espresso. Liza washed her cup.
Her diligence with even those little things was a real plus.
After watching Liza steadily these past few days, I'd concluded she was a rare gem of a girl.
She was kind, hardworking, handy, and never took anything for granted.
If I'd met her back when I was still at the family estate, I definitely would've hired her on the spot.
While Karin clutched her fresh coffee, savoring the warmth through the cup in both hands, the door swung open briskly and Leimi walked in.
Her super confident expression suggested she'd brought something she'd made. It was written all over her face.
"Hahaha! Guess what I brought?"
"Some amazing artifact?"
"Half right. Made a long-range communicator based on the magic tower's comms device."
"...Out of the blue?"
"Well, Liza's not the boss here, so if a troublesome customer shows up or problems arise, you need to handle it. Can't connect for long, but even a little chat would help, right?"
"Nice. But what sparked the idea?"
"My shop gets cocky newbie adventurers too. You think you're the only ones who demand to see the owner? I am the owner."
Leimi set down two orbs that evoked images of astrology. She placed one at each end of the bar counter, tapped to activate the mana source, and the opposite orb lit up with a signal.
I tapped mine too, and the view from the other side appeared in the orb.
"Whoa. Solid performance."
"That's because we're close. It'll degrade over distance, but by my estimates, it should reach the coffee farm in the imperial southwest."
"Doesn't seem like a distance issue. What's the downgrade?"
"Can't connect to anything else. Just these two—direct link between us."
"Ah."
So no calling the magic tower, palace, or home with it. On the flip side, no risk of being tracked. Not bad.
I took the communicators, placing one on the kitchen prep counter right by the bar. The other went into my slowly packing luggage.
As I repacked and came back out, zombie-like Mina shambled over to the orb.
She reached out and murmured:
"Call... with Manager..."
"What's her deal?"
"Told her I'd be gone a while."
"Just take her with you."
"Eh, not really."
Mina hugging the orb and groaning looked like she was cradling a loved one's corpse.
Depending on the interpretation, it wasn't far off. How awkward.
"Hey, Manager. What's, uh, that?"
Dras appeared amid the commotion, staring at Mina's antics with disbelief.
He seemed to guess without explanation, clicking his tongue.
"Why not just take her along?"
"She's got her own stuff to do."
"Yeah, she'd be a pain if she vanished."
"Coffee?"
"Sure. And this is a gift. Can't lug that around on a long trip, right?"
I nodded at Dras, who pointed at my favorite silver espresso machine.
"Modded for high-temp, high-pressure water injection. Good enough for portable espresso."
"Didn't you say resizing was tough last time?"
"Hah. To an engineer, impossible just means 'research project.' Know how much I've tinkered since you first asked?"
"Thanks anyway. I'll put it to good use."
"Sucks if the guy who always brews can't have any himself. Southwest's far—take it slow and enjoy."
Hm. I bowed to Dras, who'd handed over the portable espresso machine with such pride.
"Speaking of, how're you heading southwest?"
"Thinking carriage, nice and slow."
"No escorts?"
"Esc...orts?"
"...Fair enough. You came here alone in winter. Just pack your weapons well."
"Yeah, think I've got everything I need. Ready to head out whenever."
"Head out? Waaah... Manaaager."
Everyone burst out laughing at Mina's tragic wail as she clutched the orb.