Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Elf and the Coffee Farm (9)
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“Have they gathered all the food stalls together?”
“Yep. I figured it’d be better to see them all at once and decide, rather than having them scattered everywhere.”
“Good. Not a bad idea.”
In truth, this was Cosetica’s own desperate measure: slipping the coffee from the cafe stall in among ordinary food vendors, teahouses, and taverns would draw less attention than having it stand out on its own somewhere else.
Of course, there was no guarantee the emperor wouldn’t take notice even like this, but she figured it beat skipping the entry altogether or trying to hide it outright—only to get caught later through some investigation.
The labyrinth itself was an unnatural place where you could go deep underground and still find a clear sky and sun, with plants growing abundantly, so there were already shops cooking up dishes from its produce. A fancy way of brewing coffee might not stand out much in comparison.
Clutching at every shred of hope, Cosetica led the emperor and her retinue into the alley, feeling cold sweat trickling down her spine.
Even the attendants, who had shown no interest in magic tools, artifacts, or plain machinery, were now sneaking glances with clear curiosity.
Tools or machines might bore you if they didn’t catch your eye, but who could ignore tantalizing new foods right in front of them?
She’d thought this was the best choice, but maybe it wasn’t.
“Hmm. Even with exotic ingredients, the cooking often turns out pretty standard. Getting large quantities out of a desert that’s murderously hot in summer without spoiling? Not easy.”
“Right? I mean, it’s food and all.”
“No one’s trying anything really fun? Something surprisingly easy to replicate but with a fresh idea?”
Oh, shit.
Cosetica felt her old adventurer temper flaring up from her glory days. It’s coffee, dummy. Brewed the cafe manager’s way.
She silently prayed to a goddess she wasn’t all that devout to on a normal day, but despite her desperate plea, Alina paused for a moment, raised her right hand to shade her eyes from the sun, and narrowed her brow.
“That shop over there with the weird machine out front—what’s that?”
“...Which one do you mean?”
“The one with the silver machine that looks like some cooking tool or whatever, and a kid just standing there.”
“Sh-should we get a closer look?”
“Let’s.”
We’re screwed. No. There’s still hope.
Maybe they’re just curious about the machine. She’d chatted happily with Dras earlier, after all.
Too frantic to even glance back at Mina’s reaction, Cosetica rubbed her hands and feet together in her mind, praying to the goddess.
“Hey. Got a minute?”
“Eh? Y-yes!”
“Don’t be so tense. We just spotted something interesting and wanted to ask about it.”
Lisa, dressed in the shirt, skirt, and brown apron the cafe manager had prepared, her hair neatly tidied, had been standing there dazed. She answered the emperor’s visit in a state of high alert.
Alina’s first question, delivered with a kindly smile, was straightforward.
“I’ve got a personal interest in mechanical devices. This corner seems to be for food and drinks, but what’s this thing?”
“C-coffee... brewing machine...”
“Coffee? That stuff they chew or roast and mix with water to stay awake on the battlefield?”
“Yes. I-I’m just a part-timer, so I don’t know exactly, but... yes...”
“Hm. Where’s the owner?”
“He stepped out for raw materials...”
“Farms specializing in coffee? I know of two. In the empire, it’d be that elf farm in the southwest. Well, owners step out sometimes. Mind making me one?”
“Iced...?”
“Oh? You can serve coffee cold? If possible, yeah.”
Lisa wasn’t in the best nutritional shape, so her hair was a bit frizzy and looked almost white, but standing next to silver-haired Alina, she could pass for a sister.
Of course, everyone knew Lisa’s parents were adventurers who’d died in the labyrinth, so no secret birth drama, but the emperor still stared openly at the rare color.
Trembling with nerves, Lisa fitted the filter to the grinder and hit the button; the coffee ground itself to the precise amount. Following her routine, she tamped it down neatly with the iron tamper despite shaky hands, slotted the filter holder into the espresso machine, and pressed the button to extract.
While it brewed exactly on the timed 25 seconds, she filled a cup with ice and cold water. Once done, she poured in the coffee, stirred lightly with a metal straw, inserted the straw, and handed it to Alina.
Alina, who’d been watching intently, blinked for a moment before speaking.
“This is how you make coffee? Guild Master Cosetica. Am I seeing this right?”
“Yep. Here, the basic drinks are just coffee.”
“Hmm. No clue on the internals or principles, but it makes a racket and out comes the coffee.”
Sipping through the straw anyway, the emperor took a mouthful, winced slightly, then relaxed and commented.
“The bitterness is just like regular coffee, but the aroma and aftertaste are way cleaner. No muddy astringency or off smells.”
“Ahaha. I can’t handle bitter stuff, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Is that so? Well, it’s not bad anyway. ...What’s your name?”
“L-Lisa...”
Alina chuckled at Lisa nearly biting her tongue, then patted her head while speaking.
“Relax, Lisa. I’d like to hear about this equipment and the stuff behind it. When’s the owner coming back?”
“I-I don’t know the schedule.”
“What? Then how long have you been working here?”
“Ab-about two weeks...?”
“What were you doing before that?”
“My parents passed, so... beginner adventurer...”
Alina whipped her head around to Cosetica, who flinched, her ears and tail pinning back at the incredulous look.
“What kind of person is this shop owner? Leaving a kid he hired two weeks ago to mind the place indefinitely? That’s insane.”
“No, it’s just... the cafe manager’s always been a bit eccentric.”
“And two weeks ago was right when I mentioned visiting. Hires help and vanishes? Am I being too suspicious?”
“Y-you can’t take it up with me!”
“Hah, fair enough.”
Alina slurped down the rest of the coffee.
Tastes fine, but the owner’s sketchy. She set aside the spike of suspicion and doubt that had briefly peaked, recomposed her expression.
“Alright. Looks like no trouble using the machine, and two weeks in, you’re producing solid results, so training doesn’t seem grueling.”
“Yes. I picked it up quick...”
“So, even opening new spots, the learning curve won’t be steep. Good. Can you explain the stuff in the back too?”
“Oh, this is called cold brew.”
Espresso used hot water and high pressure for quick extraction, but this steeped coffee in cold water for a long time—Lisa explained, and Alina nodded, asking if they had any in stock. Lisa fetched a glass bottle from behind the tent and poured it over ice.
Alina took a sip and made a strange face.
“This uses the same coffee as that one?”
“Yes. Just the pre-prepped ingredients the manager left, so it’s identical.”
“Easy to make with the gear, different methods yield different flavors, owner went off to handle raw materials... Stuff anyone could learn?”
Pondering silently while finishing the coffee, Alina beckoned Lisa and Cosetica over, her expression turning quite serious.
“Fine. Here’s the deal. I’ll visit the shop tomorrow, so set up a way to contact the owner. Not hunting him down today gives him time to prepare too.”
“Ehh, what if there’s no way to contact him?”
“Ho. Owner leaves without a way to reach him in emergencies?”
“Well, it’s...”
“One more thing. You must have companions who came with you here—have one of them wait nearby.”
He went alone.
But admitting he went solo was the most suspicious thing possible, so Cosetica rolled her eyes, debating whether to say it.
Mina, sighing at the sight, spoke up quietly.
“Your Majesty.”
“...Feeling like spilling something all of a sudden?”
“The cafe manager went alone. No point asking Cosetica about companions. And Dras made that machine, so it can be replicated without the manager.”
This time, Alina fell silent.
What did I just hear? I moved carefully with skilled guards, and he soloed that place?
And if Dras built it, that explained the high-pressure water mechanism—meaning he could weigh in on hydraulics too.
So, a guy whose combat prowess far exceeded average humans runs a drink shop, hires help and bails like he’s fleeing when I announce a visit, knows mechanical stuff inside out... and the orphan clerk oddly adores her boss.
A bizarre character you wouldn’t find many of continent-wide. Alina halted her thoughts.
What the hell is this guy?
“Ah, whatever. Let’s check the rest of the stalls.”