I Became a Barista in Another World! Volume 1: New Beginnings [Completed]

Cup 8: Cacao Town

Cool and soft. The world around Ryu felt calm. It was pitch-black, yet he felt safe in its embrace. It was as if he were sinking into a pillow—a cold, wet...pillow? Ryu gasped for air as Sylfie pulled him out of the mud. Her boots were dirty from wading in the bog to fetch him. She panted slightly as she dragged him onto the road.

"How did you end up all the way out here?" Sylfie wiped the sweat from her brow.

Ryu scowled. He had a pretty good idea of how. Agrius had teleported them just outside of the walls of the Kaffa Kingdom. Surely, he had enough of an idea of where he would be dropping them and decided to drop his 'rival' in the mud to innocuously sink to his death.

Ryu shuddered, thinking about how easily he had accepted the bog's cold embrace. I need to be more careful. He patted his chest, suddenly remembering something very important. Aurora! He scrambled to his feet, looking around the area.

"Sylfie! We forgot Aurora! She's still in the bog! She's going to drown! Oh, she was so small and fragile!"

"I'm right here, nya! Stop yelling!"

Ryu turned around to see the small cat sitting on Sylfie's shoulder, staring at him inquisitively. "How—"

"I just teleported to Sylfie before you fell in the mud. That's how she knew where to find you. Also, did you forget? I'm immortal. You made the same mistake last time."

"Oh, well that's fine then. You teleported..." Ryu paused for a moment, his face darkening. Aurora seemed to realize why he had suddenly gone mute.

"A-about the teleporting thing," she mumbled, rubbing her paws together nervously.

"Pray tell, little cat, what exactly was going through your mind when we were running from the Cerberus, or being attacked by the Hibiscus Stag? Maybe the thought should have crossed your mind once a pack of hungry Night Crawlers had us surrounded!"

"Ehehe, sorry, I forgor," Aurora poked her head with a paw.

"I see," Ryu stated calmly. He swiped Aurora from Sylfie's shoulder, cocking his arm back. "Back in the bog, you go!"

"Wah! Wait! Ryu! Sylfie, say something, nya!" Aurora exclaimed, squirming about in Ryu's hand.

When she looked at the Dark Elf, however, she was met with a frightening sight. Sylfie glared at her murderously, a vein bulging from her forehead.

"You mean to tell me, I called that idiot for nothing? Do you know how long he's been pestering me? Into the bog with her, Ryu!"

"Roger," Ryu nodded.

"Ahh! You monsters! Think about it! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even met each other, nya! No adventuring teacher and no coffee brewing teacher for either of you!"

"Hmm, that is true," Sylfie rubbed her chin in thought.

"Y-yeah, see? It was all according to plan," Aurora said shakily.

"Really? Well, that makes a huge difference!" Ryu said to her.

"It does?"

"Nah, not really."

Ryu flung the cat far into the bog, ignoring her as she cursed at them. Aurora appeared on Ryu's shoulder just moments later, sputtering and covered in mud.

"Y-you two are devils, nya."

"Hey, you're the one that keeps forgetting really useful spells. It could have saved us a lot of trouble," Ryu reprimanded her.

"I have a good reason for it, nya!" Aurora protested.

"Truly? Let's hear it then. If it is a legitimate reason, we'll apologize sincerely for doubting you," Sylfie said with a look of concern.