#850 What Makes a Coffee Shop

“Ugh... I’m so full...!!!”

I just triumphed over an entire sandwich set!

No, not just any sandwich. This was the kind that challenges you with a “Eat within 30 minutes, and it’s free!” sort of deal. A quantity designed to make you seriously consider the risks involved.

It wasn’t supersized, mind you.

Nor was it an ‘L’ size or piled extra high.

Just a regular sandwich of a regular size.

Yet, it was an unprecedented, colossal amount.

I thought my stomach might burst.

But victory was mine! I swallowed every last bite.

...Sure, you might say, “If you can’t finish it, just leave some,” but as a farmer, I couldn’t bear to waste even a grain of food I might have had a hand in growing.

“I feel the food rising back up my throat...! Maybe another cup of coffee to wash it down? But then, that might just push my stomach over the edge and cause a... reverse cascade?! “

The actual taste of the coffee got lost in the overwhelming impact of the meal.

So much for my reconnaissance mission at this coffee shop...

Just then...

“How do you find the taste of our Guild-run coffee shop?” a voice suddenly asks, startling me.

Please stop; a shock right now could trigger a dramatic departure from my stomach!

Who in the world is this, daring to pry open my Pandora’s box of a stomach?!

...And then, shifting my gaze, I see a rather portly gentleman. He has the look of a seasoned professional, a familiar face.

In fact...

“...Who are you?”

But I couldn’t remember!

It’s not that I’ve forgotten. It must be just a memory faded by the gap in time since our last meeting!

Now is the time to fire up the circuits of my brain and dredge up that memory from the depths!

Demons! Commerce! Narrowing the search to coffee shops...

Ah, that’s right!

“Mr. Samijrah of the Izakaya Guild!” 

“Oh, I am honored you remember!

“As if I could forget someone I’ve met before!”

Among the demons, there are many guilds formed by working people for mutual support.

There are as many guilds as there are professions, and among them is the Izakaya Guild, headed by Mr. Samijrah.

We first met during a mishap when I opened a tavern in their capital.

Definitely a lesson learned about getting permission in advance.

I made sure to do my groundwork properly when I opened our coffee shop.

“But Mr. Samijrah, what brings you here?”

“Well, naturally, because this coffee shop is a branch of our Tavern Guild!”

Really?

“Samida Coffee Shop is my own creation as the Guild Master, with twenty branches in the Demon Capital and more on the way. The coffee boom has been a blessing indeed! Hahaha!”

That’s great to hear.

The Izakaya Guild, a mutual support organization for establishments serving food and drink in the capital, must have found some synergy with running a coffee shop.

It makes sense for him to get involved, but why show up here?

“Of course, I had to come when I heard that Lord Saint had visited our shop!”

“What?! You knew I was here?!”

I didn’t have an appointment!

I mean, I was trying to blend in, under the guise of... let’s say, reconnaissance, trying not to draw attention...

“Gahahaha! We always have someone watching the shop! We’ve got to keep an eye out for spies trying to steal our business secrets!!!”

“Gulp?!”

“In addition to that, I must keep a watchful eye on the visit of a VIP whom we must welcome... I had a hunch you would arrive incognito, as you are a person of discreet nature. I’ve already instructed the lookouts!”

“Ah, yes, exactly. Incognito...!”

I certainly wasn’t thinking of studying the ways of this coffee shop and, if lucky, pilfering a few good ideas!

“What an honor indeed! To think that Lord Saint would favor our chain of establishments! It confirms that our Izakaya Guild’s philosophy, which is more attuned to the needs of the citizens of the Demon Capital than any mere trading company, has been recognized by Lord Saint!”

“Jumping to convenient conclusions for yourself is not exactly commendable…”

And then, another voice enters the scene!

Who could it be this time?!

“Ah, it’s you, Shax!”

Mr. Shax of the Pandemonium Trading Company!

I remember him since he frequently visits the farm, unlike Mr. Samijrah, whom I had to be reminded of.

“Why are you here, Mr. President?”

“I’m doing the same thing as you. Unlike your guilds that only watch their own, our Trading Company has eyes all over the Demon Kingdom. We hear about important matters immediately,” says Mr. Shax with a hint of triumph.

“Ah, a mere merchant guild couldn’t possibly manage such a surveillance network. Only the Pandemonium Trading Company, representing the demon race, can pull it off. Information is power, after all, kukukuku...”

“Grrrrr?!”

...

Weren’t Mr. Samijrah and Mr. Shax supposed to have resolved their longstanding grudge?

Yet, whenever something comes up, they still compete like born rivals... Let’s just chalk it up to them being good rivals. 

Yup, that must be it.

“It is an utmost pleasure and honor to meet you in the Demon Capital, Lord Saint. Had I known you’d grace us with your presence, I would have prepared the grandest of welcomes.”

“Oh, I’m trying to keep a low profile, so, you know...!”

“Of course, I understand! I’ve always refrained from being too intrusive. Whenever you visited, I’d just discreetly observe. But, venturing into an Izakaya Guild’s establishment? I couldn’t stay silent!”

So, were all my previous visits to the capital under surveillance?

That’s unsettling.

“Well, you see, Lord Saint just casually entered the first place he saw, which happened to be your shop. It doesn’t mean it’s better or worse than any other, okay?!”

“You’re making a fuss just to assert that point?!”

It seemed like Mr. Shax’s competitive spirit was ignited. 

And his rival seemed equally smeared with it.

“No matter how much you quibble, the facts won’t change! Lord Saint graced our chain store with their presence, not one of your merchant guild’s! That means they acknowledged us and completely disregarded you all!!!”

No, that’s not it. 

As painful as it is to admit, Mr. Shax is right; it was just a random coffee shop I walked into.

The real goal was to gather ideas to enhance Mr. Gray Silva’s café. 

I planned to visit a few more shops...

“Such a vulgar place could never appeal to Lord Saint. A place known only for serving heaps of food might as well be a barn.”

“What are you talking about?! For the common folk, more is better – cheap, quick, and heaped! It’s a joy for the hardworking masses to have a hearty meal at an affordable price!”

“Then, isn’t that just like the pubs you run every night? Applying the same principle to different fields is the height of folly. You should think more about what a coffee shop is for.”

Mr. Shax’s argument strangely resonates with my burgeoning belly.

But I must admit, there’s some truth to the notion that more is justice. 

Everyone loves a generous serving, within limits, of course.

“At a coffee shop, people come for a moment of respite, to enjoy their coffee. Do you, a leading merchant, not understand that? Now, Lord Saint—”

Yes?

“I would like to invite you to Pandemonium’s exclusive establishments. A true haven of relaxation for the discerning elite.”

You have a coffee shop in your faction too? 

But this seems like an inevitable turn of events.

Pandemonium Trading Company, the strongest in the nation with connections to the Demon King’s family, owning a coffee shop, huh... 

I wonder what it’s like? 

Coffee for ten thousand yen a cup?

***

And then, after about three seconds of walking...

There it was, Pandemonium Trading Company’s coffee shop, right across the street.

“Hmm, the ambiance is exactly what I’d expect...!”

The shop is moderately sized but most strikingly clean, screaming luxury. 

The clientele, dressed in upper-class attire, made a commoner like me hesitate to enter.

“How is it? A fitting front for a respectable profile such as you, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Well, not necessarily...”

“First, let’s order inside. Our coffee is an exclusive blend with a unique twist.”

Mr. Shax marches in without waiting for my response.

“Here, we order at the counter before sitting. Allow me to demonstrate. Please, follow my lead.”

“Okay...”

“One Caramel Sauce Hazelnut Dark Thunder Royal Whip Coffee Jelly and Fairy Vanilla Crimson Extinct Dragonaire Ole, please.”

Huh?