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

Cup 10: Mocha Showdown

"Are you sure about this, Ryu? The Don is a Coffee Connoisseur; that's ten levels above you!" Sylfie whispered to him.

Ryu tried not to flip the table in front of him. "We wouldn't be in this mess if you, a [Level 0] Novice, didn't think it was a good idea to challenge a mafioso for no apparent reason!" he said through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry, Ryu! I'll help you out!" Aurora chimed.

Ryu sighed, scratching her ears. "Thanks, but I think I'll be on my own for this one."

Aurora shook her head. "No way! You'll see, my gift will come in handy!"

"Gift, huh? I'll be sure to open it after the competition ends, okay?"

Aurora protested but Ryu had already started walking to his station.

They were standing in a small coffee bar with two workstations. Some of the Don's men brought out machines and ingredients for both stations while the rest watched in excitement and slight apprehension. They were intrigued to see how this new challenger would fare against their boss.

Ryu inspected the equipment laid out in front of him. It was key that he understood what he was going to be making today so he could come up with a game plan. At his station were two machines: a coffee grinder and an espresso machine. The ingredients consisted of a variety of chocolates from regions he had never heard of before, a bottle labeled 'Taurus Milk', a small box of roasted beans, cocoa powder, and sugar. Ryu grinned as an image of the drink formed in his mind.

He turned to the judges, Sylfie and one of Cal Puccino's henchmen. To keep the competition fair and impartial, Cal Puccino had cast [Truth] on the judges, himself, and Ryu as well. The mob boss was undeniably confident in his ability to execute a solid caffeinated concoction.

Another henchman stood in the middle of the room reciting the rules of the competition.

"Gentlemen, your goal for this Brew Battle is simple: create a drink, using the ingredients and machinery provided to you, that suits the tastes of the judges. They will be judging not only for flavor, but also texture, aromatics, and presentation. Please keep that in mind. Without further ado, the drink you will be making for this battle will be...a mocha! You have exactly ten minutes, starting now! Begin!"

Ryu turned to his station, aware that Cal Puccino was moving at a feverish pace. The room was watching them intently, but he was unbothered. A crowd didn't scare him as long as he thought of them as a disorganized group of customers.

He started by purging the espresso machine, running several ounces of water through it to stabilize the temperature and get rid of any unwanted residue.

Next, he preheated the portafilter, a small device that looked like a bucket with a long handle attached to it, and used the coffee grinder to get his grounds to the perfect consistency for an espresso shot.

After leveling out his grounds in the portafilter, Ryu pressed down on them with a stamp-like device, aptly named a 'tamp'.

As Ryu locked the portafilter into place and waited for the espresso shot to pour from the machine, he couldn't help but feel like he was missing something crucial. The rules kept playing over in his head. He furrowed his eyebrows trying to think.

He was also worried about the Don. He seemed to be skilled enough to follow the steps necessary to make the perfect mocha, so what would set them apart? Ryu had asked the Don to forget Sylfie's debt if he won, not if they tied.

He bit his nail, looking at the ingredients at his station, then at the judges. He looked back at his workstation again and once more at the judges, an idea suddenly forming in his head as he finished pouring two shots of espresso.