#569 Eroding Coffee

I am Shax, president of Pandemonium.

I had an exhausting visit today.

Lord Saint possesses priceless knowledge that often leads to business opportunities.

I visit him frequently so that I don’t miss out as much as possible, but today, he offered me a business deal.

Usually, I have to beat my head against the ground to beg to do business with him.

But today, the proposal came from his side.

And a very intense one at that.

It seems Lord Saint is passionate about spreading the word about this mysterious drink called coffee.

As proof of how serious he was, he gave me a coffee-making set as a souvenir.

Coffee beans (roasted), a grinder, a filter, a kettle for brewing coffee, and cups—literally the complete set.

What is it about coffee that drives Lord Saint so much? I thought he wasn’t the greedy type.

Well, since he generously gave me a coffee set, I might as well make myself a cup.

Lord Saint taught me how to do it.

It takes a lot of arm work to grind the beans.

It’s interesting to see how the coffee powder expands when you put it in the filter and pour hot water over it.

After pouring a cup, I add a lot of sugar because I’m still not used to the pure bitter taste.

...Ah, delicious.

I can see why Lord Saint is so keen to promote it, and as a seasoned businessman myself, I have the conviction that this is a profitable product. 

The fact that coffee has a stimulant effect is its forte.

If those who are tired after work can forget their fatigue for a moment, coffee will sell like hotcakes...

...

Oh, shoot.

I drank coffee right before going to bed.

* * *

Sure enough, I had a hard time falling asleep in bed that night.

I think the morning sun was shining through the gap in the curtains by the time I finally felt sleepy.

While I put myself in a vicious circle by forcibly keeping my floating mind awake with coffee, I went to meet a certain someone—Samijrah, the guildmaster of the Izakaya Guild.

He and I had worked together as apprentices at the same restaurant when we were younger, and although we had shared a bond, we had been estranged from each other for a long time.

It was thanks to Lord Saint that we were able to rekindle our friendship.

That’s why I can interact with him normally now if we agree to meet.

“What business ya got today?”

Samijrah, who fully embodies the image of an izakaya guildmaster, has a large stature.

I feel overwhelmed whenever we meet face to face because I, on the contrary, grow thinner the more I age.

“I know we’re hanging out again like the old days, but we’re not here just for fun anymore, are we? We both have our responsibilities now.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     “Of course. You’re a guildmaster, and I’m a company president. There’s no way we’ll interact without involving business.” 

He knows this too, as he’s a capable businessman who runs several of the biggest bars in the capital from the ground up.

Who knows how he'll retaliate if I simply act chummy with him?

“But if it’s a deal that won’t benefit me, please keep me out of it. The big companies always think they can kick us small industries around as they wish.”

“As cynical as ever. However, there are people that companies must still be wary of. My client is such an individual.”

“Tell me about it. Is it the His Majesty by any chance?”

His Majesty, of course, is someone we have to be cautious around, but he’s a relatively more straightforward person to deal with as his requests are often predictable.

In contrast, our client only has a bunch of surprises. I have never been able to predict what he would say or do.

“Ah, I see. So it’s Lord Saint... That is quite worrying.”

“Indeed.”

“I learned later on that Lord Bacchus’ izakaya was also backed by Lord Saint. I can imagine how his request would be too much for you. I’ll lend a hand. You can tell me anything you want.”

He starts acting proud only during times like this.

Oh well, as long as he’s willing to help.

As a merchant, my gut feeling tells me that the “café” proposed by Lord Saint would be challenging to realize.

The reason is that there has never been a store of that type in the capital.

To be more accurate, there has never been a store that offers non-alcoholic beverages.

Of course, there have been countless restaurants and eateries for as long as I can remember, but most of them mainly serve food to satiate the customers’ hunger.

Besides that, they are places to drink alcohol to get drunk and have a good time.

People would find it ridiculous to call an establishment a restaurant belonging to neither aforementioned category.

Lord Saint’s ideas have defied common sense time and again, but it still needs to be marketed in the right way to maximize their effect.

Coffee would surely be a big hit if it were marketed as a wonder drug, focusing first on its stimulant effect.

However, it would be a high risk to market an establishment by relying on a non-alcoholic beverage that has yet to gain recognition.

In this respect, I thought Samijrah, the leader of the catering industry, and his opinion would be helpful, so I asked to meet him today.

“I see... But first, mind if I have a taste of that coffee you mentioned? Without it, I don’t know how to proceed with this.”

Oh?

Do you want some?

I thought you might say that, so I brought everything with me. Coffee beans included.

I just need you to provide the hot water.

“I think you’re plenty addicted yourself.”

No, I am not.

It’s just that as a merchant, I am thoroughly researching promising products that are likely to bring huge profits in the future.

By the way, in order to enjoy the best-tasting coffee, it’d be best to warm the mugs ahead of time.

This will prevent the temperature of the coffee from dropping when it’s transferred.

“You’ve really done your research, eh?”

“It’s just a general rule of thumb.”

“Lies!”

Here, your coffee’s ready.

Let’s drink it together.

“Hm, this is coffee? It’s so dark.”

“I recommend beginners take it easy and add milk or sugar to taste. I, however, can already drink it black!”

“Lies!!!”

After a short pause, we taste the coffee.

Mm!

It’s good.

“Well, it has a surprising bitterness but also a slight fruity sweetness. It’s quite a complex taste.”

He talks like he knows everything after one sip!

“It’s best you don’t mock heavy drinkers like me. The lack of alcohol in it makes my tongue more sensitive. But you were right. This is a new flavor. It slightly bothers me that there’s no alcohol, though.”

“As I thought...”

If we want to market it as a beverage, it has to have alcohol.

That’s understandable.

To be honest, there is no concept of paying for beverages other than alcohol here in the capital.

In such a situation, a “café” with coffee as the main item won’t last long in the catering industry.

“That being said, the coffee still tastes good on its own.”

“Right?”

“I think it would be even better in a cocktail. Maybe a spirit or something similar.”

Oh, the drinker immediately came up with mixing coffee with alcohol.

“I just happen to have a nice brandy at home. I’ll have the maid bring it over.”

“Great! I think it’ll taste even better with snacks on the side!”

“I’m sure this bitterness will go great with some sweetness! The coffee has a robust flavor, so the sky’s the limit when combining things! This is going to be very interesting!”

“It is worth looking into!”

We spent the rest of the day casually brainstorming how to make coffee more enjoyable.

At some point, I wondered to myself, what are two adult males like us even doing? Regardless, we had a fun time.