Chapter 96: Coffee Float, Once More

Chapter 96:
Coffee Float, Once More

 

The cloudless blue sky above, the sun’s burning-hot light, the endless golden desert stretching beyond the horizon. After seeing it all, Shareef finally felt at home again.

How mysterious. I never thought I’d find myself longing for these sights.

Shareef narrowed his eyes as the sun glared down upon him, instantly reminding him of how powerful it truly was.

The Sand Nation’s citizens often felt that the sun’s light was far too powerful, since it existed simply to illuminate the heavens, and that the desert was too vast for humans to live upon. As both a citizen of that nation, and the man who would one day rule it, Shareef felt that way, too; if only the sun and desert didn’t exist.

Nonetheless, after being away for over half a year, Shareef discovered that those things had become oddly nostalgic.

What a long, long journey that was.

Shareef didn’t regret getting his father’s permission to accomplish his goal. However, as one who’d never left his country, his trip was full of struggles. He and his bodyguards had sailed across the open seas, surrounded by nothing but salt water, and encountering storms that nearly sank them to the bottom of the ocean.

They were even attacked by monsters, forcing Shareef himself to draw his sword and command his few bodyguards to help him ward them off. Once, in the Empire, he and his guards had ridden across open plains that were freezing cold, even during the day.

Ultimately, however, a prince like Shareef couldn’t have had those vital experiences if he hadn’t left his country. More importantly, when he thought of this trip as a quest for her, he was able to deal with the many struggles as they came.

At the end of Shareef’s long journey, he and his crew found themselves in the Empire’s capital. Both the buildings and the roads themselves were made of stone, and Shareef found himself surprised by the demons living normally out in the open. The Empire overflowed with a different culture from his own, and he treasured the days he spent there.

 

***

 

Arriving back home, however, Shareef realized something. He actually wanted to return to the Sand Nation that he’d grown so used to.

I see now. This is what it means to have a homeland. I’m sure Adelheid must feel the same way… To her, the Empire is her home.

That was something Shareef had never thought about prior to his journey and was precisely why he knew the path that he and his father had decided upon wasn’t the wrong one.

A gift to form bonds with the Empire. Surely it would come of use.

As Shareef pondered, a man stepped up behind him. “So, this is the Sand Nation, eh?” His accent was different from Shareef’s.

Shareef turned around. “Yes. This is my homeland,” he said.

Unlike the Sand Nation’s citizens, the man had white skin. A squad of demons surrounded him. He looked to be in the prime of his life; he was fit as a fiddle, and the sunlight reflected off his glimmering golden armor.

The desert’s heat was enough to turn armor like that into a frying pan almost instantly, burning whoever wore it to death. Yet the man in front of Shareef looked as cool as could be.

The bodyguards around him already seemed ready to fall on their faces, despite being equipped only with leather armor and bits of cloth. That made the man a total outlier.

The strange sight reminded Shareef of just who the man before him was. I get it. The emperor must look suitable at all times, huh?

The golden armor was actually magical. Elves and dwarves had forged it using all sorts of advanced techniques to protect the heroes fighting the dragons in ancient times. Once equipped, the armor was light as a feather, and protected its wearer from the fiery dragon breath that could turn a human into ash. The sun wouldn’t affect the armor. It was indeed a prized treasure—one that had once belonged to a small nation with quite the history. Only one man on the continent could get away with wearing a gift such as that.

“Emperor Wolfgang, please know that my country considers these gifts valuable.”

The Empire’s second emperor, Wolfgang—the Founding Emperor Wilhelm’s blood successor—wore an air of dignity as he graciously nodded.

“Hmm. Lord Shareef, the gift you’ve brought us…and the Sand Nation’s magic, which controls that gift…are truly a sight to behold.”

Wolfgang turned to observe the golden sea of sand stretching before him. Just as the servant who’d teleported them had said, this was indeed the Sand Nation.

Two magical items that, when combined, teleported their user to another location: those were the gifts that the Sand Nation had presented to the Empire as a symbol of friendship. The items were apparently two of the most important of the nation’s many treasures. There were none like them.

That was why the prince had felt that it was his responsibility to deliver the gifts directly. The young man had crossed the continent and visited the emperor on his throne.

“I see now why your country is named the Sand Nation. What a spectacular view.”

Even the Empire’s unfertile lands seemed bountiful compared to the desert stretching to the horizon.

Wolfgang understood at first glance that trying to conquer this nation with soldiers would be not only impossible but meaningless. He thought about how skilled the Sand Nation’s citizens were at magic and how they could cross the ocean without having to sail dangerous boats.

“Well, I believe our two great nations can become excellent friends.” The emperor came to the conclusion quickly. There was no telling what would happen in the future, but for now, they were allies. “My daughter will arrive at the castle shortly. I’ll introduce her to you then.”

Wolfgang’s words were exactly what Shareef desired to hear.

“Wonderful!” the prince answered with a smile.

 

***

 

A few days later, Shareef’s party returned to the palace, preparing to head for the Empire yet again. The prince left them behind to traverse a familiar path through the desert. As usual, the blazing sun above cast its hot rays down upon anyone beneath.

As he headed toward his destination, Shareef found that sensation somewhat fascinating. Yeah, that’s right. This is what the desert’s like.

He was alone today. His little sister wasn’t with him; she wanted him to bring her back a take-out ice cream set to make up for not bringing her.

This door never changes. Er…wait. It has kind of changed.

The door with the cat plaque had a new, unfamiliar sign. “Nekoya, Restaurant to Another World,” it read, reminding Shareef that half a year was quite a long time.

With that thought in mind, he passed through the door as always. The familiar, nostalgic sound of bells ringing filled the air.

The first things the prince saw in the bright room were numerous customers and two waitresses busily tending to them. He was familiar with that sight, and encountering it again reminded Shareef that he was at last home.

The usual demon waitress noticed his arrival and greeted him. “Welcome! We’re happy to have you back! Let me take you to your seat.” She seated him immediately.

“Much obliged.”

Shareef looked around the restaurant. It’s been a long time.

Checking to see whether his beloved was present, he recalled how things used to be. Indeed, before he’d started bringing his sister here, all he could do was wait at his table silently.

A few years had passed since then, and Shareef was no longer the lovesick young man he’d once been.

Shareef made his usual order. “Could I get a coffee float, please? With ice cream. Make the cafa extra sweet—thank you.”

“Of course.”

He watched the waitress return to the kitchen to tell the master his order, then sipped the fruity water she’d brought him earlier. Mmm. Delicious.

The cold water seeped into his body, hot from the heat of the desert, and quenched his thirst. After spending half a year crossing the ocean and living in the chilly Empire, Shareef had grown somewhat sensitive to hot weather. Maybe that was why the cold glass of ice water seemed sweeter than usual.

The water was delicious in and of itself, but it had been half a year since Shareef had drunk the other world’s cafa. He knew it would be something else entirely.

I can’t wait.

As Shareef remembered the cafa’s great flavor, he got more excited about what he’d ordered. Settling into his chair in the perfectly temperate room, he waited for his beloved. This time on his own was both fun and warmly nostalgic.

“Sorry for the wait. Here’s your coffee float!”

Shareef smiled at the treat the demon waitress brought out to him. “Thank you very much.”

The clear glass was full of transparent black cafa; ice cubes floated at the very top. Above them sat a round scoop of yellowish ice cream. It’d been half a year since the prince had happened upon this type of beautiful coffee float.

Yes, yes! This is it!

He gulped, grabbed the strange tube made of otherworldly material, and began to suck up the black cafa. The first sip spread its sour, bittersweet flavor through Shareef’s mouth.

Delicious. The other world can’t be beat when it comes to this stuff.

The familiar flavor reminded Shareef of when he’d returned home and drunk cafa in the palace for the first time in a while.

 

***

 

The cafa Shareef drank on his journey wasn’t particularly good.

They’d made sure to bring the best cafa beans they could from the Sand Nation, but something had been off. It hadn’t tasted anything like the cafa from his home. Had the beans gone bad, or was the water different?

I recall my servants struggling quite a bit.

Anyone who lived in the Sand Nation was deeply familiar with how cafa was supposed to taste. Therefore, the men and women who’d served Shareef since he was a child saw the poor cafa as a massive problem. They’d tried changing the water, using sugar and various spices, and consulting Sand Nation nobility who’d left for the Empire ahead of them. They’d done everything in their power to make a delicious cup of cafa.

As it turned out, their efforts were rewarded. The cafa they drank in the Empire was quite good. However, compared to the Sand Nation’s cafa, it was still a different beast. Shareef and his servants would’ve been lying if they’d said that the Empire’s cafa wasn’t a bit disappointing.

That was precisely why his home country’s cafa tasted especially delicious.

Having tasted all sorts of cafa on his journey, Shareef’s tongue was especially sensitive to the other world’s blend.

Compared to the cool cafa served in the Sand Nation, the stuff at Nekoya was lightly bitter and strongly sour. It was also nearly unsweetened but delicious. It was different from the Sand Nation’s cafa, but still familiar, and it washed down Shareef’s throat smoothly.

After enjoying the cafa on its own, Shareef grabbed the silver spoon set beside the glass and turned his attention to the ice cream. Having ordered the coffee float time and time again, he now knew how best to enjoy what it had to offer.

All right. Next up is…

As Shareef had enjoyed the cafa, the ice cream had started to melt. He used his spoon to scoop up some that was about to drip and took a bite. It quickly melted over the warmth of his tongue, leaving behind only the flavor of milk and a sweet taste in his mouth. This was ice cream in its most delicious form. It had begun melting but hadn’t yet done so completely, giving it the perfect softness.

Shareef then took a spoonful of the unmelted inner ice cream and brought it to his mouth. This time, the ice cream lingered on his warm tongue for longer. It slowly melted as he enjoyed its mouthfeel and took a sip of cafa. The drink washed away the ice cream’s cold, sweet aftertaste, and it felt excellent.

Time to sink the ship.

Shareef flipped the ice cream scoop—now half the size it once was—over, sinking it into the cafa. He stirred it into the drink.

Soon, the ice cream melted completely in the glass of black cafa, turning the coffee float brown. Shareef took a sip. The melted ice cream’s presence sweetened the drink, causing the much-creamier cafa to taste completely different from before.

If the cafa had been something to experience with one’s throat, it was now something to experience with one’s stomach. A heavy flavor, so to speak.

Mmm. This is truly the best form of the coffee float.

Shareef was tremendously satisfied. Half a year had gone by, but he was pleased to find that the other world’s taste hadn’t changed one bit.

And then it happened.

The sound of bells ringing filled the air, announcing a customer’s arrival. Shareef looked over immediately to see a young, blonde-haired woman standing in the doorway—the very woman that Shareef was madly in love with.

She surveyed the restaurant and made eye contact with Shareef, then smiled brightly.

That alone was enough to make Shareef’s heart skip a beat. Suddenly, the cafa he was enjoying tasted infinitely sweeter.

I knew it. When Adelheid is around, my cafa tastes even more delicious than usual.

Now then, what to do, Shareef wondered as he finished off the rest of his cafa. Should he invite Adelheid over himself?