#566 The Woman Who Puts Milk in Everything

The farm is now hosting a decisive battle of coffee vs. tea to see which tastes better.

Pops Edward is representing coffee.

Siding with him is Letasreit and Horkosfon.

His opponent is Aileron the elf representing tea. 

The two of them are almost like a fated pair, really. Their argument today seems to be done out of a personal grudge.

That aside, I will be doing the live narration, while any comments will be provided by my wife, Platy, and Veil.

“I can’t drink tea or coffee when I’m pregnant! I’m so jealous!”

“Neither can Junior. Frankly, this event is irrelevant to us.”

Our two commentators have lost motivation from the get-go!

But even in such a situation, Aileron and Pops themselves are more than enthusiastic about livening up the place.

“They always argue, but that’s proof of how close they are!”

“The more they fight, the closer they become!”

A frank commentary right from the start.

“But the question persists; which is better, tea or coffee?”

“That will be decided today! Death awaits the loser!”

Aaand they turned it into a death match.

“So, what is the criterion for victory or defeat?”

“That, of course, is up to the judges! We’ll have our residents compare tea and coffee and let them choose which tastes better!”

“The one with the most votes wins!”

That’s a surprisingly standard method.

I thought it’d be something crazier since it’s taking place on our farm.

You know, like putting their respective cups on their heads, and the one who beats the other without spilling their drink wins.

“I’m sure the people who live with us have a refined palate and will give a fair judgment! It’s perfect for this match!”

“I admire your spirit for admitting defeat in advance. I’ll reward you by making this an easy loss!”

Pops and Aileron are in high spirits.

The farm’s residents immediately began judging the entries. 

“Eugh, bitter...”

...and it was already off to a bad start.

“It’s bitter!”

“It’s so irritating on the throat!”

“Both the black one and the green one are bitter!”

This was the general impression of the elves, satyrs, students, and others who tasted it.

It’s no wonder the bitterness of matcha and coffee is hard on young people’s sensitive tongues.

As I thought, bitterness is only a weak stimulation for older people.

“W-WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!”

The two are shocked by the unexpected result.

“No... The taste of matcha that I so painstakingly produced...”

“But my coffee...!”

I’m the one who brought both to this world, though.

The direction of this competition concerns me.

“Hey, so I made this dragon pie made with dragon extract.”

“Wow, that makes for a perfect midnight snack!”

Platy and Veil got bored and started talking among themselves.

This is a mess!

Is there a way we can save this situation?!

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Oh?”

Panu joins the fray.

As a goat therianthrope who works on our farm, she specializes in producing dairy products.

This is just between us, but she’s been secretly practicing her Bestial Release since the fight at Orkubo’s Castle!

“Ohh! Panu! Yeah, you’d make a great judge of this competition!”

“Is it tea or coffee? You’ve got to choose the best one!”

Pops and Aileron crowd Panu, but she remains unfazed.

“I’m sorry to say, but you’re both mistaken.”

“WHAT?!”

“Tea and coffee are already good. What is the need to compete? It doesn’t matter which one is right or better than the other,” says Panu. “After all... they both taste great if you add milk!”

Then she starts going on a tangent.

“For example, take this strong brewed coffee and add the same amount of milk and sugar!”

“Ahhhh! How much more sugar do you plan to add?!”

“This mellows out the bitter coffee and makes it easier to drink! Lord Saint taught me the name of this drink: Cafe au lait!”

This drink is made by pouring coffee and milk in a 1:1 ratio.

You can add sugar according to your preference, and Panu did just that...with a frightening amount.

“T-True... The sweet sugar and the milk mellow out the coffee’s bitter taste, making it easier to drink...!”

“And next, matcha! Stir the matcha, sugar, and hot water. Add the milk last, and you get a matcha latte, similar to café au lait!”

By the way, café latte is a mixture of espresso and milk, so it’s a little different from café au lait, which is a mixture of regular coffee and milk.

“The sugar’s sweetness and the milk’s mildness balanced out the matcha’s bitterness...!”

“Let’s have our judges taste it now that there’s sugar and milk in them!”

The café au lait and matcha latte were served to the residents.

This time, it was a big hit.

“It’s sweet! It tastes much better now!”

“It’s totally different from earlier!”

“It just has to be sweet! Bitter won’t do!”

Impressions typical of young people.

But they also speak of the truth.

“No... But I thought coffee was the greatest thing on earth!”

“They don’t like it bitter...?!”

Pops and Aileron collapse in shock at the result.

“No. Coffee and matcha are both wonderful drinks. I am sure that the young will appreciate the original taste as they age. Milk shall fill that gap until then by mellowing out the bitterness and making it palatable to all ages!”

Milk makes almost anything taste better.

“And anything with sugar will be sweet!”

That’s true, too.

“With the help of milk and sugar, matcha and coffee can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders! This is the power of milk, the almighty beverage!”

“Hail milk!”

“Glory to milkkkkk!!!”

Panu is being worshipped.

Milk emerged as the victor in today’s battle between coffee and tea, as it harmonizes and mildens everything.

Oh, and sugar.

* * *

For the time being, we settled on the conclusion that anything is good if you add sugar and milk.

However, not everyone disapproved of tea and coffee in their purest forms.

Some knew the difference and enjoyed coffee and matcha’s subtle bitterness, richness, and aroma.

It was the orcs and goblins such as Orkubo and Gobukichi.

As mature beings, they can fully appreciate black coffee and powdered matcha made in the tearoom.

“A well-performed tea serving.”

“What a nice aroma.”

“Medium roast and finely ground...”

They’d even say things that sound like a connoisseur.

“It’s a nice drink to have during breaks.”

“It clears my head and motivates me to be more productive.”

“Tea and coffee are trusty allies of working people.”

It seems that they learned to work more efficiently with caffeine.

“Work is a battle, but rest is also important.”

“Good job today.”

“I worked hard, too.”

“I want to support the people who support this farm.”

“The farm exists because of everyone’s efforts.” 

And now, they’re talking like they’re in a commercial for canned coffee.

Well, our orcs and goblins are the lead workers on this farm, so they are well-qualified to say that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they were cast for a canned coffee commercial at this rate.