“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.

“...suits the tastes of the judges…”

It wasn’t just about execution, but how well he could accommodate the people actually tasting his drinks. He cast [Insight] on Sylfie and Cal Puccino’s henchman, his eyes scrolling down to their preferences.

Sylfie Nightshade [Flavor Preference: Bittersweet]

Doug Giancarlo [Flavor Preference: Bitter]

Ryu smiled to himself. He had everything he needed to make the perfect cup. He examined his espresso shots which had come out rich and thick, like honey. These were ready to mix with the chocolate.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He purged the nozzle of the espresso machine, using the same technique as before and prepared his station for the final step. Pouring ice cold Taurus Milk into a jug, Ryu textured the milk by introducing steam to its surface.

Before he poured the textured milk in with the espresso, Ryu mixed in semi-sweet chocolate squares, labeled 56% cacao, into Sylfie’s espresso shot and unsweetened squares into Doug’s.

He poured carefully and deliberately, creating a simple pattern with the milk before dusting off his final product with a sprinkle of cocoa powder.

“Time!” the announcer called.

Ryu stared at the unopened bag of sugar at his workstation. Hopefully, his gamble would pay off.

Just as Ryu had predicted, the Don came out with two cups of mocha that looked and smelled heavenly. The color was just right and he had opted to create simple patterned art with the textured milk as well. Ryu gulped. The decision would come down to whoever made better choices.

Sylfie’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the Don’s mocha. Doug, however, looked like he was familiar with his boss’ creation. He circled a finger around the rim almost unenthusiastically.

“Don Puccino, please tell us what you have made for us today,” Doug said.

The Don puffed out his chest proudly. “Today, I’ve made for you my specialty, the Mafioso Mocha!” he exclaimed, striking a pose. His henchman cheered like rabid fans. Ryu resisted the urge to cringe at their behavior.

Sylfie eagerly brought the Mafioso Mocha to her lips, leaving behind a foam mustache. Her cheeks were rosy and a wide smile spread across her face. Ryu felt happy to see her enjoy the cup, even if it wasn’t from him. He wondered why she was so crazy about coffee when her grandmother owned a café. Surely, she would tire of it at some point, right?

“It’s delicious!” Sylfie exclaimed. “The mocha is rich and thick, the presentation was beautiful, and the smell is breathtaking! Er, there is one issue however—it’s a little too sweet. Ryu blinked for a second. Had the Don not thought of using [Insight]?

“I have to agree with my co-judge, Don Puccino. The technical skill needed to pull this off is astounding as always, but it was a tad heavy on the sugar.”

Cal Puccino crossed his arms. “Hmph! Fair enough! I doubt this kid’ll do any bett—” he stopped mid-sentence, staring at the cups in Ryu’s tray. The color seemed to drain from his face.

Ryu brought his drinks over to the judges and waited patiently for their assessment.

Doug raised an eyebrow, bringing the cup to his nose. He took a reserved sip, rolling the drink over his tongue. Ryu could tell from his mannerisms that he had a discriminating palate. Doug closed his eyes for a moment before passing his final judgment.

“The presentation is lovely, the texture is silky and full-bodied. The aromatics are distinct and the sweetness—there isn’t any.”

“Ha! No sugar? Rookie mistake, kid!” Cal Puccino guffawed.

“It’s perfect,” Doug spoke softly.

Cal Puccino paused, slowly turning his head to Doug in disbelief. “What?”

“Sorry, boss, this cup is perfect.”

The Don turned to Sylfie expecting her to disagree, only to find that she had already finished her cup.

“W-what’s the meaning of this?!” Cal Puccino sputtered.

“It seems pretty unaninus, nya. Ryu’s mocha is better!” Aurora cheered.

“Unanimous,” Ryu corrected her.

“That’s what I said!”

The announcer looked at Doug for confirmation. Doug nodded as Sylfie unabashedly shook her cup for stray droplets.

“I-it seems that our winner is the challenger, Ryu!”

There was a smattering of unenthusiastic applause from the other henchmen. They looked at their boss apprehensively.

“Now wait just a minute!” Cal Puccino thundered. “I know for a fact that this boy’s coffee isn’t better than mine! He’s a complete novice! He’s [Level 1]! Which means he’s made a single cup his entire life!”

So the Don had used [Insight], just not on the judges. Ryu thanked his lucky stars.

“Are you telling me, on his second ever attempted brew, he was able to make a perfect mocha?! I don’t believe it! I refuse!”

“You cast [Truth] on us, boss. We aren’t lying. Here, have a sip,” Doug offered.

The Don grabbed Doug’s cup, taking a swig of Ryu’s bitter mocha. He spit it out, even more enraged than before. “I knew it! This cup is bitter! He’s tricked us somehow! Get them!”

Ryu grimaced. He had won fair and square; it stung to see his victory invalidated.

“Sylfie! We’re going back to the original plan!” he called out, springing into action.

Sylfie’s ears perked up. “Fight our way out?”

Ryu nodded. “Fight our way out.”

He grabbed Aurora, running towards the exit. Sylfie picked off the henchman blocking their path with a spread of arrows. Ryu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was using nonlethal tips. He didn’t need any blood on his hands.

As they approached the exit, the thought of what came after didn’t cross their minds. They would figure out how to deal with the police once they escaped.

Only one man stood between them and freedom now. Don Puccino roared, raising a fist shrouded in ash.

Ryu invoked [Wood Reinforcement] and threw a punch. He had never been in a fight before, barring a few times when he was a child, and instinctively closed his eyes. He felt his fist hit something soft and heard a guttural shriek of pain. Ryu opened his eyes again, afraid of the devastation he seemingly caused.

The only words to describe his feelings at that moment were horror and pity as he witnessed his fist sinking into Don Puccino’s groin.